If an expectant mother finds out that she has cancer, what is the best route for her to take?

Question

Also, is the baby susceptible to the disease?

This is a hypothetical situation, so there are no special details. Thanks for pointing that out, Alfredo Garcia!

Answer 1

It may depend on the specific type of cancer the pregnant woman has. Some types are hormone-related and would be greatly aggrevated by the hormones secreted during pregnancy. It also depends on the stage of the cancer. If in situ (contained), it could possibly be excised surgically. Metastatic cancer is another matter. Chemo would be harmful to a developing embryo/fetus. Radiation therapy might be used depending on the site of the cancer. It also depends on the woman's feelings and beliefs. Her significant other has a say in this as well. The embryo/fetus would not be at risk for cancer.

I've had a few Oncology patients who have had to face this very situation and in one case it was a race against time. Again, it depends on the type, stage and site of the cancer and the feelings of those involved. There's no quick fix answer to this question.

Answer 2

It depends on how far along she is. If she's further along, then I'd say deliver the baby and then do treatment. If she's before 5 months - well it depends on the type and location of the cancer. It would be up to her oncologist to really decide if treatment while pregnant is advisable.

As for it being susceptible to the baby - no. It's not like a contagious disease. The only way the baby can be affected is down the road with having a family history, so really just genetics.

Answer 3

It depends on a lot of things. What type of cancer? What grade and stage? What location?

Treatments for cancer vary widely depending on the individual case. If it's a locally contained, slow-growing malignancy, they may be able to remove it surgically and cure her. If it requires radiation therapy or chemotherapy, then you're getting into more of a trouble zone.

Chemotherapy consists of drugs that kill very active (rapidly dividing) cells because cancer cells generally are among the most active cells in your body. Therefore, the drugs are designed to target cells undergoing cell division, or mitosis. Other rapidly dividing cell types include hair and skin, which is why people on chemotherapy tend to lose their hair.

The problem comes in when a pregnancy is involved because a fetus is made up of very active, rapidly dividing cells. Therefore, cancer chemotherapy would kill the embryo/fetus/baby.

To get a more accurate answer, you need to know what specific type of cancer (not just the organ, but the cell type and grade), in addition to what stage the cancer is in, before you would know what her treatment options would be.

Sorry for the vague answer, but it's the best I could do given the information you listed.

Answer 4

that's a tough call. most treatments for cancer include chemotherapy, and those drugs are toxic to pregnancy, in other words chemo would kill the child. but without treatment, mom is likely to die and not be around to raise the child. Is a bad situation, no matter how you look at it.