Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer

Purpose of Review The treatment of breast cancer during pregnancy requires special consideration in order to achieve the optimal outcome for the mother and fetus. This review will evaluate recent changes and updates in the treatment of pregnancy-associated breast cancer. We will provide a succinct evidenced-based review of current treatment guidelines for multimodal therapy in pregnancy-associated breast cancer. Recent Findings Targeted therapy and immunotherapy are emerging as standard treatment options for a significant subset of patients with breast cancer. However, the safety of specific treatments and the timing of treatment are unique in those patients who are pregnant when diagnosed with breast cancer. Summary The incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer has slowly been increasing. Treatment of pregnancy-associated breast cancer is largely similar to non-pregnant patients with certain key considerations to the fetus. The diagnostic work-up and staging should not change significantly in the pregnant patient. Surgical options are only significantly impacted by time to adjuvant therapies. Chemotherapy is safe in the second trimester. Endocrine therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, and radiation are all contraindicated in pregnancy.