The impact of pregnancy on breast cancer outcomes in women<or=35 years

Breast cancer in pregnant patients: A review of the literature

Breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is a rare occurrence at present; however, in recent years a trend towards delayed childbirth is generating an increase in its incidence. This situation requires a multidisciplinary approach involving obstetricians, oncologists and surgeons. In this review we analyse diagnostic methods, different possible treatments and long-term patient prognosis. We conducted a search for articles published in PubMed, or in abstract form from the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS), the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO), and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting, using the search terms: "Breast cancer and pregnancy". Breast cancer occurring during pregnancy requires extra effort to offer patients the best multidisciplinary management. There is no difference in the pathology-based classification, but breast cancer during pregnancy seems to be associated with different patterns of gene expression. Chemotherapy and surgery are generally safe and well-tolerated by patients during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. The poorer prognosis could be attributed mainly to a delay in diagnosis and because breast cancer in young patients is a more aggressive disease. Finally, balancing the health of mother and child must be paramount.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: the risky status quo and new concepts of predictive medicine

The paper is motivated by severe concerns regarding currently applied care of the pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) characterised by particularly poor outcomes of the disease. Psychological and ethical aspects play a crucial role in PABC: the highest priority not to damage the foetus significantly complicates any treatment generally, and it is quite usual that patients disclaim undergoing any breast cancer treatment during pregnancy. Although, due to global demographic trends, PABC is far from appearing rarely now, severe societal and economic consequences of the disease are still neglected by currently applied reactive medical approach. These actualities require creating new strategies which should be better adapted to the needs of the society at large by advancing the PABC care based on predictive diagnostic approaches specifically in premenopausal women, innovative screening programmes focused on young female populations, targeted prevention in high-risk groups, and optimised treatment concepts. The article summarises the facts and provides recommendations to advance the field-related research and medical services specifically dedicated to the PABC care.

Treatment of the Pregnant Patient with Breast Cancer

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as invasive breast cancer diagnosed during gestation, within 1 year postpartum, or during lactation. Of particular interest is the treatment of invasive breast cancer during gestation; standard treatment protocols must take into account the health of the fetus. This article reviews the literature and emerging data regarding the treatment of pregnancy-associated breast cancer. Existing staging and treatment practices need slight modification in the setting of pregnancy. The timing of surgery and the administration of cytotoxic chemotherapy must take into account age of gestation, but these modalities are safe in pregnancy.

MR imaging characteristics of breast cancer diagnosed during lactation

OBJECTIVES

To describe the MR imaging characteristics of breast cancer diagnosed during lactation and evaluate the usefulness of MR imaging.

METHODS

The MR images of nine patients (age range, 29-37 years) with pathologically confirmed breast carcinoma during lactation were evaluated retrospectively. Background parenchymal enhancement of the lactating mammary tissue was determined. The images were reviewed for evaluation of lesion detection, enhancement type (mass/non-mass), shape, margin, contrast enhancement and time-intensity curve pattern in the dynamic study. The breast MR images after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were also reviewed.

RESULTS

Although the breasts showed marked (n = 7) or moderate (n = 2) background parenchymal enhancement, MR imaging depicted breast cancer in all patients. All nine tumours were visible as masses. The most common shape and margin of the masses were an irregular mass (n = 5) with an irregular margin (n = 9). Contrast enhancement was heterogeneous or rim enhancement. The predominant kinetic pattern was rapid increase (n = 9) in the initial phase and washout (n = 5) in the delayed phase. Additional sites of cancer other than the index lesion were detected with MR imaging in three patients (33.3%). MR imaging demonstrated partial response in five of six patients who were evaluated for response to chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

All breast cancers in lactating females in this study were observed on breast MR imaging despite the moderate-to-marked background parenchymal enhancement of lactating mammary tissue. Advances in knowledge: MR imaging can be used in the evaluation of disease extent and assessment of therapeutic response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy of breast cancer diagnosed during lactation.

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is well known as a malignancy being strongly influenced by female steroids. Pregnancy is a protective factor against breast cancer. Human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) is a candidate hormone which could mediate this antitumoral effect of pregnancy. For this review article, all original research articles on the role of HCG in breast cancer were considered, which are listed in PubMed database and were written in English. The role of HCG in breast cancer seems to be a paradox. Placental heterodimeric HCG acts as a protective agent by imprinting a permanent genomic signature of the mammary gland determining a refractory condition to malignant transformation which is characterized by cellular differentiation, apoptosis and growth inhibition. On the other hand, ectopic expression of β-HCG in various cancer entities is associated with poor prognosis due to its tumor-promoting function. Placental HCG and ectopically expressed β-HCG exert opposite effects on breast tumorigenesis. Therefore, mimicking pregnancy by treatment with HCG is suggested as a strategy for breast cancer prevention, whereas targeting β-HCG expressing tumor cells seems to be an option for breast cancer therapy.

The prognosis of women diagnosed with breast cancer before, during and after pregnancy: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Previous meta-analyses have examined the prognosis of women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) as well as pregnancy that follows breast cancer diagnosis. Since then, many additional studies have been performed. We conducted an updated meta-analysis to examine the prognosis for women who become pregnant before, during and after a diagnosis of breast cancer. We also performed analyses on the various subgroups within PABC such as pregnancy and postpartum cases, as well as on time periods postpartum.

METHODS

We identified studies that reported on overall (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in patients diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy or up to 5 years postpartum from four electronic databases. We also identified studies that reported on OS and DFS where pregnancy up to 5 years occurred after a breast cancer diagnosis.

RESULTS

41 studies met our inclusion criteria (cases = 4929; controls = 61,041) for pregnancy occurring during or before breast cancer diagnosis. There was an overall increased risk of death amongst patients compared to non-pregnant controls [HR 1.57; 95 % CI 1.35-1.82]. Subgroup analysis indicated poor survival outcomes for those diagnosed either during pregnancy or postpartum (PABC) [HR 1.46; 95 % CI 1.17-1.82] as well as those diagnosed during pregnancy alone [HR 1.47; 95 % CI 1.04-2.08]. Those diagnosed postpartum had the poorest overall survival [HR 1.79; 95 % CI 1.39-2.29]. Similarly, patients with PABC had decreased DFS compared to controls [HR 1.51; 95 % CI 1.22-1.88]. Those diagnosed postpartum were the most at risk of disease progression or relapse [HR 1.86; 95 % CI 1.17-2.93]. 19 studies met our inclusion criteria (cases = 1829; controls = 21,907) for pregnancy following breast cancer diagnosis. Such women had a significantly reduced risk of death compared to those who did not become pregnant [pHR 0.63; 95 % CI 0.51-0.79]. A subgroup analysis to account for the "healthy mother effect" generated similar results [pHR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.52-0.81].

CONCLUSION

Pregnancy that occurs before or concurrently with a diagnosis of breast cancer is more likely to result in death and decreased disease-free survival. On the other hand, pregnancy occurring after a breast cancer diagnosis reduces the risk of death.

Breast cancer in pregnancy: an institutional experience

Background

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed during pregnancy. Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 12 months of delivery. Nowadays PABC can be safely diagnosed, staged, and treated during pregnancy with good outcomes for both the mother and the fetus. Recent studies suggest that prognosis of women diagnosed during postpartum seems to be worse. In order to gain a better understanding of the PABC, we reviewed our centre’s experience.

Patients and methods

We assessed the clinicopathological parameters, evolution, and outcome of patients treated in the Fundación Instituto Valenciano de Oncología of Valencia, Spain, from October 1990 to October 2013, and compared the results of patients diagnosed during pregnancy (group ‘A’) and patients diagnosed within one year of delivery (group ‘B’).

Of 12,000 cases of breast cancer registered in our database, 35 cases of PABC were identified. We included 11 patients in group ‘A’ and 24 in group ‘B’.

Results

In our group the median age was 35 years (range 29–42), of which ten (28%) patients had family history (first grade) of breast cancer, four patients were BRCA 1 mutation carriers. Axillary node compromise was found in 19 patients (53.5%), 24 patients were stage II or III at diagnosis (68.5%), 22 (62.8%) were ER positive, and nine (25.7%) were HER-2 positive.

In group A (n = 11), five patients diagnosed before 18th week decided that a therapeutic abortion be performed before treatment, two patients were treated during pregnancy, one with chemotherapy without treatment associated complications during delivery. Four women diagnosed after 28th week decided to delay the treatment until delivery.

After a follow up of 172 months, the relapse free survival (RFS) was 69% at five years and 45% at ten years. Overall survival (OS) at five years was 90.8% and 74.2% at ten years for all patients. For group ‘A’ OS was higher with 90% at five years versus 80% in group ‘B’. The differences between the groups were not statistically significant p = 0.368.

Conclusion

In our experience, there is a higher OS in patients diagnosed during pregnancy suggesting a better prognosis for this group of women but the difference between the groups is not statistically significant. Our study is limited because of our small sample.

Outcome of patients with pregnancy during or after breast cancer: a review of the recent literature

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of young women are delaying childbearing; hence, more are diagnosed with breast cancer (bca) before having a family. No clear recommendations are currently available for counselling such a population on the safety of carrying a pregnancy during bca or becoming pregnant after treatment for bca.

METHODS

Using a Web-based search of PubMed we reviewed the recent literature about bca and pregnancy. Our objective was to report outcomes for patients diagnosed with bca during pregnancy, comparing them with outcomes for non-pregnant women, and to evaluate prognosis in women diagnosed with and treated for bca who subsequently became pregnant.

RESULTS

"Pregnancy and bca" should be divided into two entities. Pregnancy-associated bca tends to be more aggressive and advanced in stage at diagnosis than bca in control groups; hence, it has a poorer prognosis. With respect to pregnancy after bca, there is, despite the bias in reported studies and meta-analyses, no clear evidence for a different or worse disease outcome in bca patients who become pregnant after treatment compared with those who do not.

CONCLUSIONS

Pregnancy-associated bca should be treated as aggressively as and according to the standards applicable in nonpregnant women; pregnancy after bca does not jeopardize outcome. The guidelines addressing risks connected to pregnancy and bca lack a high level of evidence for better counselling young women about pregnancy considerations and preventing unnecessary abortions. Ideally, evidence from large prospective randomized trials would set better guidelines, and yet the complexity of such studies limits their feasibility.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: clinicopathological characteristics of 20 cases with a focus on identifiable causes of diagnostic delay

BACKGROUND

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC), with a special focus on diagnostic delays and the identifiable causes of diagnostic delays.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Clinicopathological data of patients treated for PABC between 2003 and 2012 at Hacettepe University Hospital was retrospectively reviewed.

RESULTS

20 patients with PABC were included. The pathological examination revealed predominance of invasive ductal carcinoma (80%), grade III tumors (65%) and advanced-stage (III-IV) disease (75%). In 8 patients (40%), there was a diagnostic delay between occurrence of the presenting symptoms and the initiation of breast mass workup. For these 8 patients, the main identifiable causes of diagnostic delay were the attribution of disease-related symptoms to pregnancy or lactation in 5 (63%) and negligence of symptoms in 2 (25%).

CONCLUSIONS

PABC mostly presents with advanced-stage disease, and there can be a substantial diagnostic delay before these patients receive treatment. Preconceptional, gestational and postpartum examination of women of reproductive age should include a thorough breast examination and should provide adequate information regarding the physiological changes in breast tissue and the possible pathological symptoms.

Outcomes of children exposed in utero to chemotherapy for breast cancer

INTRODUCTION

The incidence of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is expected to increase as more women delay childbearing in the United States. Treatment of cancer in pregnant women requires prudent judgment to balance the benefit to the cancer patient and the risks to the fetus. Prospective data on the outcomes of children exposed to chemotherapy in utero are limited for the breast cancer population.

METHODS

Between 1992 and 2010, 81 pregnant patients with breast cancer were treated in a single-arm, institutional review board-approved study with 5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin, and cyclophosphamide (FAC) in the adjuvant or neoadjuvant setting. Labor and delivery records were reviewed for each patient and neonate. In addition, the parents or guardians were surveyed regarding the health outcomes of the children exposed to chemotherapy in utero.

RESULTS

In total, 78% of the women (or next of kin) answered a follow-up survey. At a median age of 7 years, most of the children exposed to chemotherapy in utero were growing normally without any significant exposure-related toxicity or health problems. Three children were born with congenital abnormalities: one each with Down syndrome, ureteral reflux or clubfoot. The rate of congenital abnormalities in the cohort was similar to the national average of 3%.

CONCLUSIONS

During the second and third trimesters, pregnant women with breast cancer can be treated with FAC safely without concerns for serious complications or short-term health concerns for their offspring who are exposed to chemotherapy in utero. Continued long-term follow-up of the children in this cohort is required.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00510367. Other Study ID numbers: ID01-193, NCI-2012-01578. Registration date: 31 July 2007.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer in Taiwanese women: potential treatment delay and impact on survival

This study investigated the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of women diagnosed with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) in Taiwan. PABC is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 1 year after obstetric delivery. Our sample of PABC patients (N = 26) included all patients diagnosed at a major medical center in northern Taiwan from 1984 through 2009. Among these patients, 15 were diagnosed during pregnancy and 11 were diagnosed within 1 year after delivery. The comparison group included 104 patients within the same age range as the PABC patients and diagnosed with breast cancer not associated with pregnancy from 2004 through 2009 at the same hospital. Patients' initiating treatment delayed, 5-year and 10-year overall survival were delineated by stratified Kaplan-Meier estimates. Patients' characteristics were associated with initiating treatment delayed was evaluated with multivariate proportional hazards modeling. Antepartum PABC patients were younger and had longer time between diagnosis and treatment initiation than postpartum PABC patients. The predictor of treatment delayed was including birth parity, cancer stage, and pregnancy. The PABC group had larger tumors, more advanced cancer stage, and tumors with less progesterone receptor than the comparison group. The antepartum PABC patients had higher mortality than postpartum PABC and comparison groups within 5 years after diagnosis. Based on these results, we confirmed that pregnant women with breast cancer were more likely to delay treatment. Therefore, we recommend that breast cancer screening should be integrated into the prenatal and postnatal routine visits for early detection of the women's breast problems.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer: optimal treatment options

Cancer is diagnosed approximately once per 1,000 pregnancies; most commonly due to the reproductive age of the women, these include breast, cervical, melanoma, thyroid, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnoses. As a single diagnosis, breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Cancer is expected to complicate pregnancy more often due to the trend for women to delay child bearing to later maternal ages. Delayed first birth is itself a risk factor for breast cancer. Termination of pregnancy has not been shown to afford a survival benefit. While protecting the interests of mother and unborn fetus, breast cancer can be safely diagnosed, staged, and treated during pregnancy with good outcomes for both. Some modification of the protocols used for nonpregnant women with suspicious palpable breast masses is required. This article reviews the challenges for physicians in making the diagnosis of breast cancer during pregnancy and upon diagnosis, counseling patients about treatment options. The consequences of diagnostic investigations and cancer treatment for the exposed fetus are also addressed.

Specific challenges in treating breast cancer in pregnant women

SUMMARY 

A cancer diagnosis during pregnancy presents a challenge to practitioners and patients. Often diagnosis is delayed. There are limited prospective case series and scant long-term neonatal and maternal data on which to base treatment plans. Also, the majority of pregnancy-associated case series include women diagnosed with breast cancer up to 1 year postpartum. The later-diagnosed group has a poorer prognosis and should be evaluated separately. To avoid attributing breast masses to pregnancy-related changes, masses should be evaluated as if the patient were not pregnant. Mammography, MRI, ultrasound, mastectomy and lumpectomy, axillary dissection, sentinel lymph node biopsy and even chemotherapy during the second and third trimesters can be considered for the pregnant patient with breast cancer.

Postpartum breast involution reveals regression of secretory lobules mediated by tissue-remodeling

Introduction

A postpartum diagnosis of breast cancer is an independent predictor of metastases, however the reason is unknown. In rodents, the window of postpartum mammary gland involution promotes tumor progression, suggesting a role for breast involution in the poor prognosis of human postpartum breast cancers. Rodent mammary gland involution is characterized by the programmed elimination of the secretory lobules laid down in preparation for lactation. This tissue involution process involves massive epithelial cell death, stromal remodeling, and immune cell infiltration with similarities to microenvironments present during wound healing and tumor progression. Here, we characterize breast tissue from premenopausal women with known reproductive histories to determine the extent, duration and cellular mechanisms of postpartum lobular involution in women.

Methods

Adjacent normal breast tissues from premenopausal women (n = 183) aged 20 to 45 years, grouped by reproductive categories of nulliparous, pregnant and lactating, and by time since last delivery were evaluated histologically and by special stain for lobular area, lobular type composition, apoptosis and immune cell infiltration using computer assisted quantitative methods.

Results

Human nulliparous glands were composed dominantly of small (approximately 10 acini per lobule) and medium (approximately 35 acini per lobule) sized lobules. With pregnancy and lactation, a >10 fold increase in breast epithelial area was observed compared to nulliparous cases, and lactating glands were dominated by mature lobules (>100 acini per lobule) with secretory morphology. Significant losses in mammary epithelial area and mature lobule phenotypes were observed within 12 months postpartum. By 18 months postpartum, lobular area content and lobule composition were indistinguishable from nulliparous cases, data consistent with postpartum involution facilitating regression of the secretory lobules developed in preparation for lactation. Analyses of apoptosis and immune cell infiltrate confirmed that human postpartum breast involution is characterized by wound healing-like tissue remodeling programs that occur within a narrowed time frame.

Conclusions

Human postpartum breast involution is a dominant tissue-remodeling process that returns the total lobular area of the gland to a level essentially indistinguishable from the nulliparous gland. Further research is warranted to determine whether the normal physiologic process of postpartum involution contributes to the poor prognosis of postpartum breast cancer.

[Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer: An analytical observational study]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

A retrospective, analytical, observational study comparing 56 cases of breast cancer and pregnancy (PABC) diagnosed 1976-2008 with 73 patients with breast cancer not associated with pregnancy (non-PABC) was performed. Demographic data, prognostic factors, treatment and survival were reviewed and compared.

RESULTS

The prevalence of PABC in our center is 8.3/10,000. The highest frequency (62%) appeared during the postpartum period. The stages are higher in PABC, being 31.3% advanced (EIII and EIV) in PABC versus 13.3% in non-PABC (P < .05). Regarding prognostic factors, 27.3% in PABC had a tumoral grade 3 versus 15.8% of non-PABC. Among women with PABC, 33.3% had negative estrogen receptors, 48.7% negative progesterone receptors and 34.5% positive Her2Neu compared with 22.2, 24.1 and 31%, respectively of non-PABC patients. Finally, positive lymph nodes were found in 52.8% of PABC, versus 33.8% non-PABC (P < .05). Overall and disease-free survival rate at 5 years for PABC was 63.7 and 74.2%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The poorer survival observed is possibly due to the presence of adverse prognostic features such as lymph node metastases, negative hormone receptors, tumoral grade iii, as well as a delay in diagnosis with a higher rate of advanced stages.

Does pregnancy-associated breast cancer imply a worse prognosis? A matched case-case study

BACKGROUND

Significant controversy exists in the literature regarding the role of pregnancy in the prognosis of breast cancer. We designed a matched case-case study, matching pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) cases with breast cancer cases for stage, age, and year of diagnosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

39 consecutive cases of PABC were matched with 39 premenopausal cases of breast cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses followed by adjustment for stage, grade, estrogen receptor status, and age at diagnosis, were performed.

RESULTS

Regarding overall survival (OS), univariate analysis pointed to longer OS in non-PABC cases vs. PABC cases. Accordingly, a more advanced stage predicted shorter survival. In the multivariate analysis, the independent aggravating effect mediated by pregnancy persisted. Interestingly, a post hoc nested analysis within PABC cases indicated that the 3rd trimester pointed to shorter OS. The aforementioned results on OS were also replicated during the examination of relapse-free survival.

CONCLUSION

Implementing a matched case-case design, the present study points to pregnancy as a poor prognostic factor for breast cancer.

The impact of pregnancy on breast cancer survival in women who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation

Physicians are often approached by young women with a BRCA mutation and a recent history of breast cancer who wish to have a baby. They wish to know if pregnancy impacts upon their future risks of cancer recurrence and survival. To date, there is little information on the survival experience of women who carry a mutation in one of the BRCA genes and who become pregnant. From an international multi-center cohort study of 12,084 women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, we identified 128 case subjects who were diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant or who became pregnant after a diagnosis of breast cancer. These women were age-matched to 269 mutation carriers with breast cancer who did not become pregnant (controls). Subjects were followed from the date of breast cancer diagnosis until the date of last follow-up or death from breast cancer. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate 15-year survival rates. The hazard ratio for survival associated with pregnancy was calculated using a left-truncated Cox proportional hazard model, adjusting for other prognostic factors. Among women who were diagnosed with breast cancer when pregnant or who became pregnant thereafter, the 15-year survival rate was 91.5 %, compared to a survival of 88.6 % for women who did not become pregnant (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.76; 95 % CI 0.31-1.91; p = 0.56). Pregnancy concurrent with or after a diagnosis of breast cancer does not appear to adversely affect survival among BRCA1/2 mutation carriers.

Breast cancer in pregnancy

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer is defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or in the first postpartum year. Breast cancer is one of the more common malignancies to occur during pregnancy and, as more women delay childbearing, the incidence of breast cancer in pregnancy is expected to increase. This article provides an overview of diagnosis, staging, and treatment of pregnancy-associated breast cancer. Recommendations for management of breast cancer in pregnancy are discussed.

Challenges in managing breast cancer during pregnancy

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is defined as breast cancer occurring anytime during gestation, lactation or within one year after delivery. The optimal management of pregnant women with breast cancer is challenging and not well established; the main concern is the effect of the drugs on the developing fetus and long-term complications after in utero exposure to anti-cancer drugs. Surgical resection is the mainstay of treatment for early breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Modified radical mastectomy is standard of care in first trimester, whereas breast-conserving surgery (lumpectomy with lymph node dissection) can be performed preferably in the second and third trimester. Of note, breast-conserving surgery is not contraindicated per se during the first trimester, but owing to the potential impact of delaying radiotherapy. Radiation therapy is not favored during pregnancy. Moreover, tamoxifen is contraindicated during pregnancy; the agent has been associated with birth defects in up to 20% of exposures. Chemotherapy is generally contraindicated during the first trimester because of the possible damage to organogenesis. Anthracyclines-based regimens are the most widely used is breast cancer treatment and were been shown to be associated with favourable safety profile when administered during pregnancy. As for taxanes, more limited data is available. The use of trastuzumab is contraindicated during pregnancy, given the apparent risk of oligo- and/or anhydramnios as well as the unknown long-term sequelae on the fetus. It is obvious that, diagnosis of breast cancer during pregnancy adds complexity to cancer treatment recommendations. In all cases, a multidisciplinary therapeutic approach among obstetricians, gynaecologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, pediatricians and hematologists is clearly warranted.

Prognosis of women with primary breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy: results from an international collaborative study

PURPOSE

We aimed to determine the prognosis of patients with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy (BCP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In this cohort study, a multicentric registry of patients with BCP (from Cancer in Pregnancy, Leuven, Belgium, and GBG 29/BIG 02-03) compiled pro- and retrospectively between 2003 and 2011 was compared with patients who did not have associated pregnancies, using an age limit of 45 years. Patients with a diagnosis postpartum were excluded. The main analysis was performed using Cox proportional hazards regression of disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) on exposure (pregnant or not), adjusting for age, stage, grade, hormone receptor status, human epidermal growth factor 2 status, histology, type of chemotherapy, use of trastuzumab, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy.

RESULTS

The registry contained 447 women with BCP, mainly originating from Germany and Belgium, of whom 311 (69.6%) were eligible for analysis. The nonpregnant group consisted of 865 women. Median age was 33 years for the pregnant and 41 years for the nonpregnant patients. Median follow-up was 61 months. The hazard ratio of pregnancy was 1.34 (95% CI, 0.93 to 1.91; P = .14) for DFS and 1.19 (95% CI, 0.73 to 1.93; P = .51) for OS. Cox regression estimated that the 5-year DFS rate for pregnant patients would have increased from 65% to 71% if these patients had not been pregnant. Likewise, the 5-year OS rate would have increased from 78% to 81%.

CONCLUSION

The results show similar OS for patients diagnosed with BCP compared with nonpregnant patients. This information is important when patients are counseled and supports the option to start treatment with continuation of pregnancy.

Stage at diagnosis and mortality in women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC)

Converging evidence indicates that women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) have increased mortality compared to women with breast cancer not diagnosed near pregnancy (non-PABC). Our aim was to investigate if the stage distribution differs between PABC and non-PABC and if stage at diagnosis can explain the poorer prognosis observed among women with PABC. We identified 3,282 breast cancers in women aged 15-44 years at diagnosis for whom staging data (tumor size, nodal involvement, metastasis) were available in the Swedish Cancer Register between 2002 and 2009. Information on reproductive history and vital status was obtained from the Multi-Generation Register and the Cause of Death Register. PABC was defined as breast cancers diagnosed during pregnancy and up to 2 years after delivery (n = 317). Non-PABC was defined as cases diagnosed before pregnancy or more than 2 years postpartum. Stage distributions were compared between PABC and non-PABC, and mortality rates were modeled using Cox regression. Compared to women with non-PABC, the mortality was almost 50 % higher in women with PABC [unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.47 (95 % CI 1.04-2.08)], a difference which was reduced after adjustment for age and calendar year of diagnosis [HR 1.27 (95 % CI 0.88-1.83)]. Although advanced stage of breast cancer at diagnosis was more common among PABC than among non-PABC, further adjustment for stage only slightly reduced the HR [1.22 (95 % CI 0.84-1.78)]. The difference in mortality between PABC and non-PABC was more pronounced among women above 35 years and among women with PABC diagnosed within 1 year postpartum. Age, rather than stage at diagnosis, appears to act as the principal driver of the increased mortality observed in women with PABC. However, these findings do not preclude an untoward influence on mortality by pregnancy-associated factors affecting tumor aggressiveness and progression.

Case control study of women treated with chemotherapy for breast cancer during pregnancy as compared with nonpregnant patients with breast cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this analysis was to compare disease-free survival (DFS), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) between pregnant and nonpregnant patients with breast cancer.

METHODS

From 1989 to 2009, 75 women were treated with chemotherapy during pregnancy. Each pregnant case was matched on age and cancer stage to two nonpregnant patients with breast cancer (controls). Fisher's exact test, the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used.

RESULTS

Median follow-up time for patients who were alive at the end of follow-up (n = 159) was 4.20 years (range: 0.28-19.94 years). DFS at 5 years was 72% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 58.3%-82.1%) for pregnant patients and 57% (95% CI: 46.7%-65.8%) for controls (p = .0115). Five-year PFS was 70% (95% CI: 56.8%-80.3%) for pregnant patients and 59% (95% CI: 49.1%-67.5%) for controls (p = .0252). Five-year OS was 77% (95% CI: 63.9%-86.4%) for pregnant patients and 71% (95% CI: 61.1%-78.3%) for controls (p = .0461). Hazard ratio estimates favored improved survival for pregnant patients in univariate analyses and multivariate analyses, controlling for age, year of diagnosis, stage, and tumor grade.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients who received chemotherapy during pregnancy, survival was comparable to-if not better than-that of nonpregnant women. Pregnant patients with breast cancer should receive appropriate local and systemic therapy for breast cancer.

Impact of recent parity on histopathological tumor features and breast cancer outcome in premenopausal Japanese women

Although previous studies have reported that onset at young age is associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer, the correlation between reproductive factors, breast cancer characteristics, and prognosis remains unclear. Five hundred and twenty-six premenopausal young women diagnosed with primary invasive breast cancer between January 2000 and December 2007 were included in this study. Patients were classified into four groups according to their reproductive history: women who gave birth within the previous 2 years (group A), women who gave birth between 3 and 5 years previously (group B), women who gave birth more than 5 years previously (group C), and nulliparous women (group N). The correlation between the time since last childbirth to diagnosis, histopathological tumor features, and breast cancer prognosis was evaluated. Breast cancer patients who had given birth more recently had more advanced stage tumors; larger sized tumors; a higher rate of axillary lymph node metastases; a higher histological tumor grade; and increased progesterone receptor (PgR)-, HER2+, and triple negative tumors than patients who had given birth less recently or not at all. Group A patients had significantly shorter survival times than patients in both groups C and N (log rank test; p < 0.001). After adjusting for tumor characteristics, the hazard ratio for death in group A was 2.19 compared with group N (p = 0.036), and the adjusted hazard ratio restricted to patients in group A with hormone-receptor-positive, and HER2- tumors was 3.07 (p = 0.011). Young breast cancer patients who had given birth more recently had tumors with more aggressive features and worse prognoses compared with patients who had given birth less recently or were nulliparous.

Postpartum diagnosis demonstrates a high risk for metastasis and merits an expanded definition of pregnancy-associated breast cancer

Previous studies report conflicting data on outcomes of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC). Our aim was to examine the effect of a postpartum diagnosis on maternal prognosis in a young women's breast cancer cohort. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women age ≤45 years, diagnosed with breast cancer (n = 619) during 1981-2011 at the University of Colorado Hospital and The Shaw Cancer Center in Edwards, CO. Breast cancer cases were grouped according to time between giving birth and diagnosis: nulliparous (n = 125), pregnant (n = 24), < 5 years postpartum (n = 136), >5-<10 postpartum (n = 130), and ≥10 years postpartum (n = 147), to examine the clinicopathologic features and the risk of distance recurrence and death. Cases diagnosed after pregnancy, but within five-years postpartum, had an approximate three fold increased risk of distant recurrence (HR 2.80, 95 % CI: 1.12-6.57) and death (HR 2.65, 95 % CI: 1.09-6.42) compared to nulliparous cases. Postpartum cases diagnosed within five years of last childbirth demonstrated a higher five-year distant recurrence probability (31.1 %) and a markedly lower five-year overall survival probability (65.8 %) compared to nulliparous cases (14.8 and 98.0 %, respectively). A diagnosis of breast cancer during the first five-years postpartum confers poorer maternal prognoses after adjustment for biologic subtype, stage, and year of diagnosis. We propose that the definition of PABC should include cases diagnosed up to at least five-years postpartum to better delineate the increased risk imparted by a postpartum diagnosis. Based on emerging preclinical and epidemiologic data, we propose that pregnant and postpartum cases be researched as distinct subsets of PABC to clarify the risk imparted by pregnancy and the events subsequent to pregnancy, such as breast involution, on breast cancer. Further, we highlight the importance of postpartum breast cancer as an area for further research to reduce the increased metastatic potential and mortality of PABC.

Prognosis of pregnancy-associated breast cancer: a meta-analysis of 30 studies

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is relatively rare with considerable controversy regarding its prognosis.

PATIENTS & METHODS

Two of the authors independently performed a literature search with no date or language restrictions. Eligible studies were control-matched, population-based and hospital-based studies that addressed the outcome of patients diagnosed during pregnancy or 1-year afterwards. The primary and secondary end-points were overall and disease-free survival respectively. Pooling of data was done using the random effect model.

RESULTS

30 studies were included in this meta-analysis (3,628 cases and 37,100 controls). PABC patients had a significantly higher risk of death compared to those with non-pregnancy-related breast cancer (pooled hazard ratio (pHR): 1.44; 95% CI [1.27-1.63]). The same results were encountered on restricting the analysis to HRs of multivariate analyses (pHR: 1.40 [1.17-1.67]). A clearer trend of poorer outcome was seen in those diagnosed postpartum (pHR: 1.84; 95% CI [1.28-2.65]) than those diagnosed during pregnancy (pHR: 1.29; 95% CI [0.74-2.24]). DFS analysis showed a significantly higher risk of relapse associated with PABC as well (pHR: 1.60 [1.19-2.16]).

CONCLUSION

Our results show that PABC is independently associated with poor survival particularly those diagnosed shortly post-partum. This underscores a possible impact of the pregnant breast microenvironment on the biology and consequently the prognosis of these tumors.

Pregnancy-associated breast cancers: do they differ from other breast cancers in young women?

The impact of pregnancy in the physiopathology of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is still unclear. We compared the characteristics of PABCs and breast cancers not associated with pregnancy (non-PABCs) in terms of their loco-regional invasion and histological phenotype. We conducted a retrospective chart review on women less than 43 years of age treated for breast cancer from January 1, 2004 to December 31, 2010. We compared age at diagnosis, loco-regional invasion and histological data. We recorded 282 breast cancers in 276 patients. Forty-one tumors (14.5%) were PABCs. PABC patients were significantly younger than non-PABC patients. Compared with the non-PABCs, PABCs were twice more frequent advanced tumors (T3-4) and have twice more frequent HER2 over-expression and hormone negative status. The more aggressive histological profile observed in the PABCs, especially in post-partum tumors and women older than 35 years of age, seems to be a direct consequence of the association with pregnancy.

Breast carcinoma in young women

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the incidence of breast carcinoma and survival in patients younger than 25 years old, and to describe presenting clinical signs and symptoms of breast cancer in this age group.

METHODS

A population-based descriptive study and case review in Olmsted County, Minnesota, was conducted using the resources of the Rochester Epidemiology Project. Participants were Olmsted County girls and women younger than 25 years old with histopathologically confirmed breast carcinoma diagnosed between 1935 and 2005. Nonresidents who presented to a medical facility within Olmsted County during this time period were included in some portions of the analysis. Main outcome measures were age-adjusted incidence, 5-year survival, and clinical presentation of breast carcinoma in girls and women younger than 25 years of age.

RESULTS

With four breast carcinomas observed in Olmsted County residents over 1,201,539 person-years, the annual age-adjusted incidence of breast cancer in this population was 3.2 per million (95% confidence interval, 0.1-6.2). All four cancers occurred in the 20- to 24-year age group (age-specific incidence, 16.2 per million). Eight additional cases of breast carcinoma were identified in nonresidents. Delay in diagnosis was common. All had at least one feature worrisome for an aggressive neoplasm identified in their clinical history, on physical examination or by imaging.

CONCLUSION

Breast carcinoma in young women is very rare, associated with delayed diagnosis, and usually associated with concerning features requiring biopsy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Prognosis of breast cancer during pregnancy: evidence for nursing care

This integrative review analyzed evidence available in the literature concerning the prognosis of breast cancer during pregnancy. The following databases were used for selecting studies: PubMed, CINAHL and LILACS. A total of 240 primary studies were identified; 13 papers were included in the integrative review's sample after reading the titles and abstracts and according to the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. There is evidence indicating that pregnancy does not worsen the evolution of breast cancer and a poor prognosis is related to late stage tumors. Among the gaps identified in the studied theme, the need for further studies addressing nursing care provided to pregnant women with breast cancer is highlighted in order to promote improved care in the context of health care.

The biological features and prognosis of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer during pregnancy (BCP) is relatively rare and is associated with controversies about its biology and prognosis. Hence, we designed a case-control study to examine tumor features and outcome in a series of BCP patients diagnosed and treated in a single institution.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We identified 65 patients diagnosed with BCP and for each; we selected two non-pregnant breast cancer patients, who were matched for age, year of surgery, stage, and neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We then compared the differences in pathology, immunohistochemical features (ER, PR, HER2 and ki-67), disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS).

RESULTS

We did not find any significant differences in tumor characteristics between the two groups. However, at a median follow-up of four years, BCP patients had an inferior DFS (HR 2.3; 95% CI 1.3-4.2), after adjustment for possible confounding covariates. No difference in OS was observed. However, upon restricting the analysis to patients who did not receive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, patients with BCP had inferior OS as well (HR 2.6; 95% CI 1.0-6.5). No association between induction of abortion and prognosis was observed.

CONCLUSIONS

While we did not observe any differences in tumor features, BCP patients have poorer prognosis compared to age and stage-matched control. Further studies should try to elucidate reasons for such poor outcome.

Survival outcomes in pregnancy associated breast cancer: a retrospective case control study

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) has been defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within one year of delivery. It is believed that after adjusting for age and stage, the 5-year survival rates are the same in both pregnant and nonpregnant women. We conducted a retrospective case-control study among patients treated at our institution between 1990 and 2005 to compare the 5-year survival outcomes for PABC with women treated for breast cancer who were not pregnant. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, and log rank tests were used to assess the associations between OS, DFS and pregnancy status, HER-2 status, ER/PR status, and family history. The median age was 33 years (range 24-42) for both groups. Twenty-two (55%) patients with PABC were ER/PR receptor positive compared with 20 (50%) for the controls. Ninety percent of patients with PABC received chemotherapy compared with 87.5% in the nonpregnant group. 91.5% of patients with PABC had breast-conserving surgery and 8.5% had mastectomies compared with 86% and 14%, respectively, for the control group. The median OS was 4.9 years in the PABC group compared with 6 years for the controls (p = 0.02). The median DFS was 2.7 years for the PABC group compared with 5.1 years for the controls (p = 0.01). The most common site of relapse was bone for the PABC group (27%) and local recurrence (33%) for the controls. Univariate analysis revealed that OS and DFS were associated with pregnancy status, family history, ER/PR status, and stage. After adjusting for age and stage, PABC patients had higher risk of both death (p = 0.01) and recurrence (p = 0.02) compared with nonpregnant controls. Women with PABC had significantly shorter OS and DFS compared with nonpregnant age and stage-matched controls.

Pregnancy associated breast cancer and pregnancy after breast cancer treatment

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed during pregnancy and its frequency is increasing as more women postpone their pregnancies to their thirties and forties. Breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy and lactation is difficult and complex both for the patient and doctors. Delay in diagnosis is frequent and treatment modalities are difficult to accept for the pregnant women. The common treatment approach is surgery after diagnosis, chemotherapy after the first trimester and radiotherapy after delivery. Even though early stage breast cancers have similar prognosis, advanced stage breast cancers diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation have poorer prognosis than similar stage breast cancers diagnosed in non-pregnant women. Women who desire to become pregnant after treatment of breast cancer will have many conflicts. Although the most common concern is recurrence of breast cancer due to pregnancy, the studies conducted showed that pregnancy has no negative effect on breast cancer prognosis. In this review we search for the frequency of breast cancer during pregnancy, the histopathological findings, risk factor, diagnostic and treatment modalities. We reviewed the literature for evidence based findings to help consult the patients on the outcome of breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation, and also inform the patients who desire to become pregnant after breast cancer according to current evidences.

Current or recent pregnancy is associated with adverse pathologic features but not impaired survival in early breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) may be defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within 1 year of giving birth. Conflicting data exist regarding the impact of pregnancy on clinical features and prognosis of breast cancer.

METHODS

A single-institution retrospective chart review was performed of 99 patients identified with PABC between 1992 and 2007. Non-PABC controls were matched 2:1 to PABC cases by year of diagnosis and age. The differences in clinical features were compared between cases and controls using chi-square tests. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the effect of PABC on survival.

RESULTS

Of the 99 PABC cases, breast cancer was diagnosed during pregnancy in 36 patients, and after delivery in 63. PABC cases were more likely than controls to be negative for estrogen receptor (59% vs 31%, P < .0001) and negative for progesterone receptor (72% vs 40%, P < .0001). Cases were also more likely to have advanced T class (P = .0271) and N class (P = .0104) and higher grade tumors (P = .0115). With a median follow-up of 6.3 years for cases and 4.7 years for controls, overall survival did not differ between cases and controls (P = .0787). On multivariate analysis, the independent prognostic factors for overall survival were estrogen receptor status (P = .0031) and N class (P = .0003). The diagnosis of PABC was not an independent prognostic factor (P = .1317).

CONCLUSIONS

PABC is associated with more adverse tumor features than non-PABC matched for age and year of diagnosis. After correcting for pathologic features, the diagnosis of PABC is not in itself an adverse prognostic factor for survival.

Management of early invasive breast cancer in very young women (<35 years)

BACKGROUND

To give an overview about current treatment recommendations and special problems concerning the management of women <35 years with early breast cancer.

METHODS

We performed a selective systematic literature review. We discussed with reference to key studies and meta-analyses, current standards of care, and controversies regarding patient management.

RESULTS

Breast cancer in patients younger than 35 years is rare but associated with an unsatisfactory prognosis. Local treatment should not differ from general guidelines, but awareness of the high risk of local recurrence must be maintained. Adjuvant polychemotherapy is almost always indicated, standard endocrine therapy is tamoxifen. Before the start of systemic therapy, the patient must be offered different types of fertility preservation. Pregnancy related breast cancer is not associated with a worse prognosis, but with delayed diagnosis. Therefore, every suspicious lesion in the breast or axilla must be imaged and biopsied. The optimal time to delay pregnancy following the diagnosis is unknown. Hormonal contraceptives are contraindicated after breast cancer. Every woman <35 years diagnosed with breast cancer should be offered genetic counseling.

CONCLUSION

The management of breast cancer in very young women requires a multidisciplinary team to find the optimal treatment and to solve their specific problems.

Cancer and pregnancy: a comprehensive review

BACKGROUND

Pregnancy complicated by cancer is relatively rare but, as women in western societies tend to delay childbearing to the third and fourth decade of life, this phenomenon is going to be encountered more often in the future.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Review of the literature and description of the different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches which are required to diagnose and treat pregnant mothers with cancer.

RESULTS

As in non-pregnant patients, every effort should be made to provide the maximal benefit and best prognosis to the pregnant patient. In most cases, in order to avoid any harm to the fetus, different diagnostic approach should be incorporated and treatment should be tailored to each pregnant woman. Cooperation of multidisciplinary teams, incorporating medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons, obstetricians, neonatologists and experienced nursing staff, is required to provide optimal care for the patient. The benefits from use of surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy as well as the mother's wishes and beliefs need to be factored into recommendations and treatment planning.

CONCLUSIONS

With the experience gained, the developments in clinical and radiation oncology and the cooperation of multidisciplinary teams, treatment of cancer during pregnancy with normal fetal outcome is feasible.