need experience and advise on this situation
 

I have a friend whose daughter is 8 months pregnant
and she was dx with breast cancer stage 1 she was told it was an an aggressive form (they do not speak English well) the dr. wants her to have surgery and remove the breast. Has anyone on the board know of anyone who was pregnant who had surgery? She is only one month short of full term. I do not have any other information at this point of time.

Any info would help.
thanks,
Jean

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

Seems I've heard of a lot stories about delivering the baby early in order to allow the mother to have treatment. I believe 8-month-old fetus (baby) can be safely delivered.

I was born premature at around 8 months...

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

Hello Jean ,I was 16 weeks pregnant when I found my bc lump. I had a mastectomy and 4 cycles of AC chemo while pregnant. That was almost 9years ago. My son is perfect.

Pia

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

I think it is in her and the baby's best interest to consult her OB and the surgeon- if they can deliver the baby early. If she is stage 1, very likely the doctor will do surgery first and then wait 4 weeks to do chemo. So even though she is preganant, it might be safe for them to do surgery without harming the baby.Ofcourse she needs to check with the surgeon.

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

Thank you all for your information...Pia I will pass your story over to the family who are so distraught. It will give them peace to know that it is not unusual to have the breast surgery.
Also I will tell them your wonderful successful story. So happy for you and your son! I am guessing...but I would also think that the onc. would wait for her to deliver and then begin active treatment.

Will keep you updated. Once again many thanks Jackie & Yanyan. They know I belong to the site and they had reached out to me hoping there would be first hand advise.

Kind Regards,
Jean

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

Jean,

I had a mastectomy at 31 weeks pregnant and then Eddie was induced at 35 weeks to begin chemo. I also have a friend, also on theis board who had a lumpectomy around 34/35 weeks and then had baby only a couple of weeks early for chemo.
they can operate whilst pregnant there are of course problems but they should beable to advise about them.
I went into labour the night of my operation which was very scary and the midwives managed to stop it with drugs and lots of emotional support - not my best day ever!!
Anyway I am now 16 months since surgery and all is going really well - Eddie is just troublesome as his older sister and there doesn't appear to be any lasting effects on him!

Hope this helps but please tell her she is not alone and it is not as bad as you think it will be - just like everything cancer really!!

Jenny x

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

My first baby was born at 36 weeks. He is a happy, healthy 16 yr old, doing great in school. No developmental issues whatsoever. My cancer came around when he was 8.

I think, if she wants to see her baby grow up, she might want to do everything she can to stop the cancer. Including exercise, aspirin, supplements, whatever. She doesn't need the additional burden of feeling guilty that she hasn't done everything she could think of if the cancer ever recurs.

Just my perspective, ofcourse. Ultimately, she needs to do what works for her.

Jacqueline

Re: need experience and advise on this situation
 

Yes, I too know a woman who found out she had cancer after she was pregnant; she was Stage IV and it was in her liver, so she needed chemo. She did a form of chemo that doesn't hurt the baby, and they induced labor as soon as the baby was viable. They were both fine.

Awful and worrisome as it is, you are lucky the cancer appears to be only Stage 1. That gives her a really good shot at raising the baby. I'm sure the doctors will be able to protect the baby and keep your daughter safe. And, she'll have an interesting story to tell at his 21st birthday!

Congratulations to the Grandma! It's not the ideal way to have a grandchild but it's still a blessing.