Breast Cancer During Pregnancy – Seeking Advice on Treatment Timing and Options

rahultripathi742

Hello everyone,

I am seeking guidance and experiences regarding my wife’s breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy.

She is currently around 32 weeks pregnant and is being treated at an Army hospital in India. Her breast biopsy/histopathology has confirmed breast cancer. The tumor is reported as:

- ER positive

- PR positive

- HER2 negative

Her treating team is currently planning delivery after approximately 34 weeks, after which her oncology treatment will be started according to the tumor board’s recommendations.

She is currently clinically stable, and her blood pressure and other pregnancy-related parameters are normal. Steroid injections have been planned/given to help with the baby’s lung maturity before delivery.

Imaging such as MRI/PET-CT has not yet been performed and is planned after delivery, as advised by her treating team.

I would be very grateful if members with a similar experience could share their advice regarding:

1. For ER/PR-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, what treatment approaches are commonly considered after delivery?

2. Is it generally safe to wait until delivery at around 34 weeks before starting systemic cancer treatment, assuming the mother remains clinically stable?

3. How is the treatment sequence usually decided — surgery first, chemotherapy first, or another approach?

4. How are treatment decisions affected by the tumor size, lymph-node status, grade, and stage?

5. After delivery, what scans/tests are generally important for proper staging?

6. For hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer, when are hormonal therapy and other targeted treatments usually introduced?

7. If anyone has personally gone through breast cancer during pregnancy, I would especially appreciate hearing about your experience with treatment, delivery, and the health of the baby.

8. Are there any important questions that I should specifically ask our oncologist/tumor board before delivery and before starting treatment?

I understand that every case is different and that treatment decisions must be made by her treating oncology team. I am mainly looking for patient experiences and general information that may help us understand the treatment journey and prepare the right questions for her doctors.

Thank you in advance to everyone who takes the time to respond.

moderators

@rahultripathi742 Welcome to Breastcancer.org. We’re so sorry you and your wife are facing a breast cancer diagnosis during what should be such a joyful and exciting time for your family. There is so much to take in at once, and it sounds like you are doing everything you can to understand what comes next and advocate for both your wife and your baby.

You’re asking excellent questions. Many of the answers about timing and treatment will depend on the details that are still being gathered, including tumor size, grade, lymph node involvement, and staging, so her oncology and obstetric teams will be the best people to guide you through those decisions.

In the meantime, we have some information that may help you understand what her doctors are discussing and prepare questions for the tumor board:

Breast cancer treatment during pregnancy has information about treatment options and timing during and after pregnancy.

Our Newly Diagnosed section is a good starting place for understanding diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning, and our Guide to Your Pathology Report can help make sense of ER/PR status, HER2 status, grade, tumor size, lymph nodes, and other results as you receive them.

Most of all, we hope others here who have experienced breast cancer during pregnancy will share their stories with you. Sometimes hearing from someone who has actually walked this path can make it feel a little less overwhelming.

Your wife would also be very welcome to join one of our free Virtual Support Groups whenever she feels ready. They are a warm, professionally facilitated place to meet others going through breast cancer treatment in real time.

Please keep us posted on how your wife and baby are doing. We’re very glad you found us, and we’ll be here for both of you as you navigate the weeks ahead. ❤️