Breast Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy 'On The Rise', Research Suggests
Breast Cancer Diagnosis During Pregnancy 'On The Rise'
Amy Packham— The Huffington Post UK
One in 10 women aged 45 and under who develop breast cancer first spot signs when they are pregnant or breastfeeding, according to new research.
The number of women in this age group diagnosed with breast cancer is thought to be "on the rise", with an estimated 5,600 new cases each year, suggests research from Breast Cancer Care.
The study looked at 496 women aged 45 and under who developed breast cancer. It also found more than a third (39%) of women went through treatment for the condition when their youngest child was aged five or under.
"Being told you have breast cancer when you have a young family is devastating," said Samia al Qadhi, chief executive of Breast Cancer Care, according to PA.
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The number of women diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy is "on the rise"
"Many mums feel they miss out on precious time with their children because they are going back and forth to hospital for treatment or may be dealing with debilitating side-effects - time they will never get back," said al Qadhi.
"We urge breast cancer units to adopt our recommendations for supporting younger women with breast cancer, which include a referral to a specialist if diagnosed during pregnancy."
In the research, half (53%) of 196 women who had young children felt the biggest impact of treatment was being too ill to care for them.
The biggest fear for 66% of mothers was not seeing their children grow up.
Amanda Mealing, Breast Cancer Care ambassador and mother-of-two, was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 34, the day after her second son was born.
"Breastfeeding my day-old son Otis for the first time should have been special, but instead as I felt a lump in my breast I realised something was very wrong," she said.
"When he was only days old I was told I had breast cancer. I was heartbroken. We had only just welcomed him into the world and now I was consumed by the fear I wouldn't see him or his brother grow up.
"Throughout treatment I faced sickness and extreme fatigue all while trying to be there for my kids – it was totally overwhelming."
The charity is urging cancer units to give extra support to women aged 45 and under diagnosed with breast cancer during pregnancy, both during and after pregnancy.
Meet the Women of Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told
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Chris Ozer (02 of29)
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Chris Ozer photographed Carol Miele“I’ve seen some really special moments with Carol. We captured her having breakfast with her husband. Just those simple interactions and those daily activities that we all can relate too, it was important to me that we capture them, so I’m so glad we did.”
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Carol Miele blogging about all things MBC.
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Carol, who is a fan of everything Wonder Woman, lovingly refers to her convertible as her invisible plane
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Carol's special connection with animals shows during a visit to an Ocala horse farm.
Pei Ketron(06 of29)
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Pei Ketron photographed Jen Campisano" What I really wanted to do was to be present throughout the whole day and make sure I could document the smaller moments along the day, because it’s often those smaller moments that tell the story.”
Jen Campisano(07 of29)
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Jen, 37, is a wife, mother and former lobbyist who was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2011 after the birth of her son. Soon after her diagnosis, Jen decided to share her story through a blog – Booby and the Beast. Jen continues to enjoy life as much as possible through hiking, yoga, Pilates and most importantly, spending time with her husband, Chris, and four-year-old son, Quinn.
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Valuable life lessons from Mom to Quinn.
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The Campisanos embark on their next family trip.
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Campisano family quality time over lunch.
Ben Heath(11 of29)
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Ben Heath photographed Jill Cohen "When I first heard about the project I was really excited. This is just the sort of thing I like to do You think you kind of know what strength is, and then you meet Jill. And you think you kind of know what human spirit is all about, and then you meet Jill.”
Jill Cohen(12 of29)
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Jill, 55, is a daughter, a sister, wife and former non-profit fundraiser who has been living with metastatic breast cancer since 2002. She enjoys cooking, reading sci-fi and fantasy novels and is a leader at her synagogue. Jill also writes a blog, Dancing with Cancer, named after the dance principle of learning to lead and follow, which she applies to her life with cancer.
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Jill answers emails and responds to comments on her blog.
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After 13 years of living with metastatic breast cancer, it becomes near impossible to count the number of doctor’s visits and procedures that Jill has gone through.
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A Friday night tradition, Jill recites the prayer before a homemade shabbat dinner.
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Jill’s husband Rik continues to be one of her main supporters.
Angelo Merendino(17 of29)
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Angelo Merendino photographed Holley Kitchen “I know these photographs are intense. It’s putting something in front of people that no one wants to really deal with, you know mortality and suffering. But there’s also love in these photographs.”
Holley Kitchen(18 of29)
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Holley, 42, is a wife and mother who has been living with metastatic breast cancer since 2013. Holley’s story received a lot of publicity when a video she shared to raise awareness for metastatic breast cancer went vital. Holley’s “ordinary Texas family” consists of her sons, CJ and Bryson, and her husband, Beep, who all love to restore cars together. Holley and Beep also own and operate a local auto repair business.
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Faith, hope, and love. These are guiding principles for the Kitchens.
Steven McCurry(23 of29)
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Steve McCurry photographed Khadijah Carter“I think Khadijah has been an example of somebody who’s been really strong. And we wanted to see what her life was like, document her life, spend some time with her, and just how she moves around the community.”
Khadijah Carter (24 of29)
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Khadijah, 40, is a mother and communications strategist who has been living with metastatic breast cancer since 2010. Following her diagnosis, Khadijah received a graduate degree in journalism from Columbia University. She now works for the New York Police Department.
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Khadijah leads her church congregation in singing, prayer, and faith.
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Khadijah meets with New York Police Department Commissioner, William Bratton.
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Khadijah and her daughter, Deja.
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For more information on Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told please visit: www.storyhalftold.com