Q: Which doctor treats breast cancer during pregnancy?
A: Breast cancer during pregnancy is treated by an oncologist in close association with the obstetrician.
Q: Does pregnancy influence the risk of any other cancer?
A: Pregnancy reduces the risk of cancer of the ovary and the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus.
Q: How is mammography performed?
A: During mammography, the tissues of the breast are pressed between two plates of the mammography machine and an x-ray is taken. It is an outpatient procedure routinely performed for screening of breast cancer.
Q: When can a woman treated for breast cancer plan her pregnancy?
A: Physicians often recommend a gap of two years after treatment and before getting pregnant to watch for recurrences of breast cancer, which may affect the decision to have a baby or not, and for the ovarian function to recover. Contraception should be used when the woman is undergoing treatment with chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Some women who want to get pregnant after the treatment may prefer freezing their egg once they are diagnosed with cancer and before receiving any treatment.
