RT Journal
A1 Numann PJ
T1 BReast cancer in pregnancy—invited critique
JF Archives of Surgery
JO Archives of Surgery
YR 2003
FD January 1
VO 138
IS 1
SP 99
OP 99
DO 10.1001/archsurg.138.1.99
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archsurg.138.1.99
AB 
The recommendation for a thorough breast examination in pregnant women should be strengthened to include examinations at the beginning of each trimester, particularly in high-risk women. Women with a genetic predisposition, who have had a previous breast cancer or premalignant abnormality such as atypical ductal hyperplasia and lobular carcinoma in situ, who are older than 40 years, and who have new breast complaints should be considered at higher risk than the average pregnant women. Although implicit in the data, the need to accurately diagnose a localized breast mass in a pregnant woman is essential. Women rarely get cysts during pregnancy. Fine-needle aspiration and, for that matter, core biopsy are of minimal morbidity during pregnancy. Although both ultrasonography and mammography have a role in the assessment of breast masses, a tissue diagnosis is still the gold standard.