Breast cancer during pregnancy: diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.

The management of breast cancer associated with pregnancy encompasses many diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas. The various modalities used for screening, diagnosis, and staging of breast cancer are not always applicable during pregnancy. The risk to the unborn child plays a major role in the decision process. Overall, the prognosis of patients with pregnancy-associated breast cancer is worse because a large proportion of patients are first seen with more advanced disease. However, stage for stage, the prognosis is similar.