Review article
THE INFLUENCE OF SUBSEQUENT PREGNANCY ON THE PROGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER
Miro Kasum
Abstract
The overall incidence of breast cancer is the highest in perimenopausal and older women but rare in the reproductive age. However, with the increasing trend toward delay in childbearing that is visible in many developed countries, in addition to possibilities of better diagnostic methods, it could be expected the higher incidence of breast cancer in this age group than it was earlier. The paper presents an overview of literature regarding the effect of a pregnancy on survival subsequent to diagnosis of breast cancer. On contrary to earlier studies the findings from recent researches demonstrate that there is no justification for a therapeutic abortion, and the survival of women with breast cancer is not decreased by subsequent pregnancy. The survival of breast cancer patients is not decreased by subsequent pregnancy because they have good survival rates, often the same or better, with favourable relative risks, and a lower recurrence of metastases, in comparison with non-pregnant group. Therefore, the prognosis of the breast cancer does not seem to be influenced adversely by subsequent pregnancy, although the issue of pregnancy with regard to subclinical metastases remain questionnable.
Keywords
breast cancer; treatment; pregnancy; prognosis
Hrčak ID:
15790
URI
Publication date:
30.9.2005.
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