In some rare cases a pregnant woman can be diagnosed with cancer or she may be suffering from cancer before expecting the baby. The advancement of Medical Sciences makes it possible that the women suffering from cancer can successfully become a mother. There are many misconceptions regarding cancer during pregnancy. Pregnancy is not the cause of cancer and neither cancer spreads rapidly during pregnancy. Although the hormonal changes in a pregnant woman’s body can spread the growth of Melanoma which is a very rare incident.
Cancel has practically no effect on the fetus but the chemotherapy with them expecting mother undergoes if she has cancer might be threatening for the unborn baby. Generally, one woman in every thousand women is diagnosed with cancer while being pregnant and late pregnancy is considered to be one of the reasons behind the phenomena.
Diagnosis of cancer in pregnancy
Some symptoms of Cancer are very much similar to pregnancy symptoms. Therefore at the initial stage, they are ignored and letter on the pregnancy tests reveal something is not normal in the body of the pregnant women. Vomiting, nausea, Headache, Changes in the breast, vaginal bleeding and severe abdominal pain are the symptoms which are often ignored as side effects of being pregnant. As the physician suspects something is not right then an x-ray, CT scan or ultrasound procedures are used to detect the nature of cancer in the pregnant woman’s body. Breast cancer and cervical cancer are two most common cancers observed in pregnant women. Biopsy and pep test are the two important procedures to detect cancer. Medicine for oncology during pregnancy is always prescribed by the doctor keeping in mind the safety of the unborn child. With the help of proper medication, cancer affected expecting mothers can safely deliver the child.
Types of cancer during pregnancy
Due to very simple and similar symptoms like pregnancy, the following type of cancers are mostly diagnosed during pregnancy
- Cervical cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer
- Blood cancer
- Melanoma
- Colorectal cancer
- Thyroid cancer
All these cancers can be cured if they are diagnosed in the initial stages. The treatment can be done along with pregnancy without affecting the mother and baby.
Cancer treatment during pregnancy
The treatment of cancer during pregnancy depends very much on the type and location of cancer in the pregnant woman’s body. Along with medicines, Chemotherapy and surgery are the two procedures to fight with cancer. The physicians always put emphasis on building immunity in the Mother’s body so that the fetus cannot be affected by the harsh treatment to cure cancer. Medicine for immunology during pregnancy is very important for the proper growth of the fetus if the mother is diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. If surgery is must to save the Mother’s life then the surgeons perform the surgery in case of ovarian cervical and breast cancer so precisely that the fetus remains safe and unaffected.
The time table of a healthy pregnant lady and cancer affected pregnant lady is different. In case of emergency, the baby can be prematurely delivered to save the life of both mother and the baby.