Perimortem Caesarean Section Performed on a Mother with Terminal Bilateral Breast Cancer

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed during pregnancy and the prevalence is increasing partly due to postponement of pregnancy. The combination of life-threatening disease and pregnancy is emotionally difficult for all parties involved and can lead to ethical dilemmas.
Case report: Here we describe a case of a 30 years old primigravida admitted with advanced pregnancy associated bilateral breast cancer at 26 weeks of gestation. She received supportive and palliative therapy with counselling but succumbed to the disease within two weeks. Perimortem caesarean section was done at 28 weeks to save the infant.
Conclusion: The oncological outcome of breast cancer is recently described as unaltered if diagnosed during pregnancy. Treatment of the disease should not be insufficient because of the pregnancy, and all treatment options remain possible. Here we describe an unfortunate case of a terminally ill pregnant patient in whom only the infant survived.