Rate Of Breast Cancer In Pregnancy Likely To Rise As Women Delay Childbearing

The incidence of pregnancy-associated breast cancer is likely to rise as more women delay childbearing, a major research conference was told today.


Catherine Jack, Macmillan Lecturer at the School of Healthcare at the University of Leeds, told the Royal College of Nursing's 2006 International Nursing Research Conference in York on Friday that 8,000 new cases of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women are diagnosed each year. Of those, approximately 3% will be pregnant at diagnosis.


"With more women delaying childbearing, and the fact that breast cancer is the most common cancer in women, we are likely to see even more women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer in the future," she said. "This is a real double whammy for women as it's a unique combination of two major life events. They may feel even more isolated as there's a lack of research about women's experiences in this area. The challenge for the health profession is treating these women as a distinct group with specific needs compared to other women with breast cancer."


Royal College of Nursing President Sylvia Denton, a clinical nurse specialist in breast care, said: "Breast care nurses can provide invaluable support for women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy by giving necessary and relevant information, practical help and emotional support."


Pregnancy-associated breast cancer* has been associated with a poorer prognosis mainly because of the late stage of the disease at diagnosis. Ms Jack has conducted a study of women with the disease in the Yorkshire Cancer Network - a study she hopes will raise awareness and lead to earlier diagnosis with better outcomes.


The study included 51 women (aged 24-43 years) who had been diagnosed with pregnancy-associated breast cancer since 1998. Of those, 12 were interviewed about
their experiences ranging from fears about the future to difficult family decisions.


One woman delayed in presenting with a breast lump:


"It never entered my head that it was going to be anything else apart from hormones. So I left it for seven months … and thought I'd better get this sorted out because I want to breast feed again. My midwife said "no, it's a blocked duct … massage it and if it doesn't clear go to your GP in a week". Left it another month … And my GP said "I'm certain it's nothing but I'll refer you anyway". By which time I'd a lump under my arm … and then I was referred."


Another woman with a breast lump who was fobbed off, resulting in late diagnosis..


"I think in total, I went back six times …And each time, I just got fobbed off … I fell pregnant very quickly after that … And I kept coming in and I, I kept saying to them, this lump's getting bigger, it's getting bigger. And they just kept saying its hormones because you're pregnant. … your hormones didn't have a chance to settle down and as soon as you got pregnant again, it's gone up. And it just, it got so big that you could actually physically see it over the, over the skin …."















Case study available for interview:


Rebecca Coles is a 40-year-oldWest Sussex mother of twogirls who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38 when she was 30 weeks pregnant with her youngest daughter.She had to undergo two rounds of chemotherapy while pregnantand many more rounds of cancer treatment since her daughter's birth two and a half years ago.


"At the time I didn'tmeet anyone my own age inthe same position," Rebeccasays. "I hadlots of support but no-one Icould really identify with. Older womenwith cancer whom I met wanted to see their grandchildren grow up - I just wanted to see my daughter's first birthday. The thoughtthat I might die and my children would grow up and notremember me was overwhelming."


She has since set up a Support for Cancer in Pregnancy support group (sfcip) with the aid of a MacMillan Cancer Relief grant.


*Pregnancy-associated breast cancer refers to breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or up to one year after childbirth.


The Royal College of Nursing's 2006 International Nursing Research Conference is underway at York Racecourse in York from Tuesday March 21-Friday March 24. It brings together nurses from diverse clinical and academic settings from around the world and includes workshops, concurrent sessions, poster presentations and fringe meetings. Visit: www.man.ac/rcn/research2006 for further information on the conference and research papers presented at the conference.


Royal College of Nursing (RCN) is the voice of nursing across the UK and is the largest professional union of nursing staff in the world. The RCN promotes the interest of nurses and patients on a wide range of issues and helps shape healthcare policy by working closely with the UK Government and other national and international institutions, trade unions, professional bodies and voluntary organisations.


Royal College of Nursing