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Breast cancer during pregnancy is not common. But if you find a lump or notice any changes in your breasts that concern you, tell your healthcare team. There are tests pregnant people should have if breast cancer is suspected. There are treatment options for treating breast cancer if you are pregnant.

If you are pregnant and breast cancer is found, it might be called gestational breast cancer or pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC).

How common is breast cancer during pregnancy?

Breast cancer is found in about 1 in every 3,000 pregnant women. It is the most common type of cancer found during pregnancy.  

When to contact your healthcare team

If you find a lump or other changes in your breasts that concern you, don’t ignore them. Tell your healthcare team right away. Any breast changes should be checked out before assuming they are a normal response to pregnancy.

Along with going to a healthcare professional for a clinical breast exam, several types of imaging tests can be used to look for anything abnormal. Typically, a breast ultrasound or mammogram can be done. If an abnormal spot is found, a breast biopsy (removing a piece of the abnormal area to check it for cancer cells) is often another option.

Difficulties finding breast cancer while pregnant

Certain challenges make it difficult to find breast cancer during pregnancy. Breast cancer in pregnant people is often diagnosed at a later stage than it is in women who are not pregnant. For example, it’s more likely to have already spread to lymph nodes.

Hormone changes

Changes in hormone levels during pregnancy cause your breasts to change. The breasts might become larger, lumpy, or tender. This can make it harder for you or your care team to notice a lump caused by cancer until it gets quite large.

If you notice a change in your breasts, it is important to discuss it with your healthcare provider.

Delayed breast cancer screening

Another reason it might be hard to find breast cancer early during pregnancy is that screening with mammograms might be delayed until after the pregnancy.

Dense breast tissue

Even when people do get mammograms, pregnancy and breastfeeding can make the breast tissue denser, which can make it harder to see an early cancer on a mammogram.

Are mammograms and other imaging tests safe during pregnancy?

A main concern with any imaging test during pregnancy is whether it exposes the developing fetus to radiation, which could be harmful, especially during the first trimester.

Breast biopsy during pregnancy

If a new breast lump or abnormal imaging test result raises concerns about a breast change possibly being cancer, a biopsy is typically done. During a biopsy, small pieces of breast tissue are taken from the abnormal area.

The most common breast biopsy technique is a core needle biopsy, which uses a hollow needle to remove the pieces of breast tissue. This is usually done as an outpatient procedure. Most often, numbing medicine (local anesthesia) is used to numb just the area of the breast where the biopsy will be done. This carries little risk to the fetus.

If a core needle biopsy doesn’t give a clear answer, a surgical biopsy is typically the next step. For this type of biopsy, a larger piece of breast tissue is removed through a small cut (incision) in the breast. Surgical biopsies are often done under general anesthesia (where you are in a deep sleep), which carries a small risk to the fetus.

Staging breast cancer during pregnancy

If breast cancer is found, you might need other tests to find out whether cancer cells have spread within the breast or to other parts of the body. This process is called staging. Different staging tests might be needed, depending on your situation.

As noted above, ultrasound scans do not use radiation and are safe during pregnancy.

Chest x-rays are sometimes needed to help make treatment decisions. They use a small amount of radiation to create the images. They are generally thought to be safe to have when you’re pregnant as long as your belly is shielded.

Other tests, such as PET scans, bone scans, and computed tomography (CT) scans, are more likely to expose the fetus to radiation. These tests are not often needed to stage breast cancer and are only used if necessary. If one of these tests is needed, doctors might be able to make adjustments to limit the amount of radiation exposure to the fetus.

Treating breast cancer during pregnancy

Breast cancer is treated similarly regardless of whether someone is pregnant, especially for early-stage disease. Although, some adjustments might be needed to help protect the fetus. Learn more in Treating Breast Cancer During Pregnancy.

Can breast cancer spread to the baby?

Breast cancer has never been found to spread from the mother to the fetus. But in a few rare cases, the cancer has reached the placenta (the organ that connects the mother to the fetus). This could affect the amount of nutrition the fetus gets from the mother.

To learn more, see Pregnancy After Breast Cancer.