The patient is yet to complete a few more cycles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy which can be given safely after the delivery of the baby, according to Shija Hospitals & Research Hospitals.
TFM Desk
The joy of a mother holding a child in her bosom after giving birth is a moment one cannot describe in words. This is more so for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer.
Recently, a 42-year-old patient from Chandel District recently delivered a baby after she was diagnosed with breast cancer at Shija Hospitals & Research Hospitals (SHRI).
The patient complained of a lump in her right breast. The hospital in her village referred her to Dr. Ayekpam Anil Meetei, Consultant Surgical Oncologist at Shija Hospitals & Research Hospitals (SHRI) in the first week of September 2021, according to an official release from Shija.
The initial investigation diagnosed the patient with Grade 3 (aggressive) breast cancer and found the patient to be 16 weeks pregnant. The news of pregnancy lit up the moment of despair for the newly married woman. She immediately consulted Dr. Phijam Dhaneshwor, Consultant Obstetrics & Laparoscopic Gynaecologist, at SHRI for antenatal care (ANC).
The experts at Shija discussed the patient’s condition and deliberated over all the effective and safe prognoses for her and the unborn child. The doctors explained the risk to the patient’s family and upon their consent, the patient was scheduled for Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM), followed by chemotherapy sessions and continuation of pregnancy with regular ANC.
Dr. Ayekpam Anil Meetei conducted MRM successfully on September 22, 2021 under PMJAY. Both the patient and the fetus were found to be fine after the surgery. After the operation, the patient was referred to American Oncology Institute, Imphal, for adjuvant chemotherapy. Even during the chemotherapy cycles, the patient regularly consulted Dr. Phijam Dhaneshwor for the antenatal check-up throughout her pregnancy.
On January 11, 22, the patient was rushed to SHRI suspecting her water to be broken. The ultrasound report indicated reduced amniotic fluid. The team of experts at Shija delivered a healthy boy on January 12, 2022. The excitement of the family knew no bounds for the gift of life that the hospital delivered. They thanked the entire team of Shija for transforming a traumatic episode into a miracle.
Shija applauded its team’s efforts and competence in preserving the mother’s and baby’s lives. The patient is yet to complete a few more cycles of chemotherapy and radiation therapy which can be given safely after the delivery of the baby, according to Shija.
“Breast cancer surgery and chemotherapy is no contraindication to pregnancy. Studies have shown that breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer. The cancer cases in India increased at an average annual rate of 1.1 to 2 percent and the deaths from cancer in the country also went up at an average rate of 0.1 -1 percent from 2010 to 2019,” the release added.
It further said that Breast cancer prevention starts with healthy habits such as staying physically active, limiting alcohol, etc. Breast self-examination is recommended once a month for women at any age. Women can also avail themselves of mammography tests and experts consultation at SHRI to look for early signs of breast cancer.