PREGNANT AND WITH CANCER STAGE I

joystars

PREGNANT AND WITH CANCER STAGE I

joystars

Hello everyone! I'm 29 yrs old. I'm 10 weeks pregnant and been diagnosed with cancer stage I, DCIS II &III.

All started about three months ago when I found a lump in my left breast, after going to my general doctor he adressed me to the University Hospital in Oslo, Norway where I live. After mammo, ultrasound and biopsy, a 6mm lump was found and tested positive to cancer. Of course during this whole situation it never crossed my mind I was pregnant until few days before I had a lumpectomy when running a blood test revealed my hcg levels high high. Good and bad news came at the same time.

Doctors have been so supportive ever since and asked me and my husband to take it step by step, we weren't sure we could continue the pregnancy. Lumpectomy was performed to know what we were dealing with (and of course expecting the worst as I'm in a high risk group: family cancer history and my age). Surgery went fine and lymph nodes were clean, so all we needed was to wait for the results about the tumor..

So last Friday we've been told good and bad news again, for me is amazing news to know the cancer is only stage one, that lymph nodes were completely clean but unfortunately the tumor they removed grew a lot (due my preganancy) and the margins were not clean

Because of my pregnancy radiotherapy is not an option for me, so my onco has recommended a second surgery in ten days, this time to perform a mastectomy. After consulting with her team and other oncologists, they all have agreed that the best option for me and my baby is to go under this surgery, continue my pregnancy and have a c-section around week 30 -33 of pregnancy and right after chemo treatment will start (sometime around end of November).

I need to confess I'm really scared, the idea of loosing a part of my body scares me so much The past months have gone so fast and so slow at the same time. I wanna keep my hopes up and fight this with all I have. Today after having the first ultrasound and seen baby's heart beating and hands moving.... I know I can make it!

Moiralf

Hi Joystars,

 Just wanted to say congratulations on the news of your baby.  You are dealing with two of the greatest life issues there can be.  Stay positive and hold on to the wonder of having that sweet baby.  Losing the breast is doable. Had mine off over 2 1/2 years ago.  Sort of grown to think that is how it should look.  I guess you will be having Reconstruction which I didn't bother with.

Also sounds like they got it early and in time you will able to look back on this time as "What the H***  was that"

All the very best for the future.

sushanna1

There are at least two women here who were diagnosed while pregnant.  

Send a personal message to Pure (please check to make sure that this is her exact name) and I am sure that she will respond to you. 

Good luck.

Sue 

hbcheryl

Joystars firstly congratulations on your baby, I know you're in shock but mastectomy is very doable.  On the Stage 111 board there is a member I think her screen name is Billynda and like you she is young with a young family and she had a beautiful baby a few months ago, so search through and read her posts.  Good luck.

bookgirl

Just wanted to let you know that my thoughts are with you. My daughter's teacher found out she had cancer while pregnant a few years ago. She underwent Chemo during the pregnancy, they delivered the baby (a healthy little girl) then she did radiation. Last I saw her she was back teaching and looked wonderful. I find that it is helpful to know that someone has walked the path before me, hope this helped a little. All the best to you, God bless.

NancyD

Joystars, it was both Billynda and Pure who were pregnant when diagnosed. Both had Stage III breast cancer, and both went through chemo while pregnant. They've both given birth to healthy babies. Check out their posts in the Stage III forum. I'm sure they won't mind a few questions about their expriences.

joystars

Moiralf, hbCheryl:
Thank you very much for your words at this very moment mean the world for me.
To see my baby's heart beating yesterday indeed boosted me and my husband to keep fighting.
Still so many questions about the recovery, what will come next and of course the chemo treatment effects, re construction and so on..... seems like a long long road ahead.

NancyD, sushanna1: thank you for pointing me to the other pregnant women in the forum. Already contacted them.  Thanks also for your kind words and taking sometime to reply

To everyone: I feel less alone now that I shared my thoughts. My husband has been incredibly supportive, so much love, so much tenderness but sometimes I feel I need to take out my fears and hubby is not really the person I wanna scare with such.

Pure

Hi there,

I was told I had stage 1 then they removed my breast and it was stage 3. I had to have 8 months of chemo.  I did have clean margins and deep. Due to your age I would guess they would want you to do chemo.. Up to age 35 your rate of reoccurenece is higher then the rest so I was told if my tumour was bigger then 8 mm I would have chemo. It was so I had chemo.... As far as nodes they said I had none but then they did the surgery and I had nodes. They should remove 15 unless your sentinal nodes were all negative.

I was told no radiation until I had the baby but needed to do chemo. I am not sure why you need to do a c section. If you started chemo while 12 weeks pregnant it would take you up to delivery then you could deliver and do the 2nd half of chemo which would be your taxol or taxotere.

Then on to rads.

Because of your age I would be as agressive as possible.  The surgery for the masectomy was easy so don't be too concerned about that.

If you go to the MD Anderson website there is a lot of information on pregnancy and cancer.  I am happy to help in anyway.

joystars

Pure, thanks a lot for your reply. I read your profile and people here in the forum addressed me to you as it seems we are in the same boat.

I discovered myself the lump three months ago while taking a shower, mammo and ultrasound revealed it was a small 6mm lump on my left breast. My right breast was checked as well and there was nothing to be found. Biopsy revealed it was cancer. Once I was refered to the oncologist and her team, was when we found out my pregnancy. Went under lumpectomy about a month ago, during it my oncologist/surgeon checked my sentinel nodes in the armpit but they tested negative. So that was really good news.
Results from pathology came last Friday and the tumor grew a lot because of the pregnancy, seems like literally I fed it!!!  From 6mm it grew to 24mm and there were no clean margins I can't have a re-excision lumpectomy, I wanna keep my baby so radio is not an option even if they were using a shield to cover my belly the risk to harm the baby is so high!
So I have to go under surgery again, mastectomy next week. After it I won't start chemo right away, but I will have it also hormonal treatment. The reason I will have a c-section is because we can't wait until January when baby is due, to start the chemo and doctor doesn't wanna start treatment during pregnancy (I asked her about the possibilities) so at week 33-34 I'll be delivering.  And chemo will start right away.

You are right to mention my age, I also have family history so I deo need to attack this with all they have. Need to confess I have my good positive days but also my "the world is gonna end" times.
Thanks a lot for taking some time and reply, if there's someone I feel I can really relate is you indeed. I know our cases are different, but we both are dealing with this disease while pregnant, two different situations at the same time.

Fighter_34

SENDING SO MANY PRAYERS YOUR WAY. GET WELL.