Short term outcomes following breast cancer surgery in pregnant women

Objective: Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in pregnancy with an estimated prevalence of 1 per 3000 pregnancies. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines advocate for surgical management in all trimesters for pregnant women with breast cancer but few studies have examined the impact breast cancer surgery has on outcomes in pregnant women. We aimed to identify differences in short term outcomes after breast cancer surgery between age-matched pregnant and non-pregnant women.

Methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional study utilizing the Health Care Utilization Project-Nationwide Impact Sample (HCUP-NIS) database from 1999 to 2006. All pregnant women with breast cancer undergoing lumpectomy or mastectomy were compared to age-matched non-pregnant women. Demographics, in-hospital mortality, length of stay, hospital cost, and discharge disposition were reviewed. Statistical analysis was performed with chi-square, Student's t-test, and ANOVA with p<0.05 deemed significant.

Results: Over an 8 year period, 185 pregnant women (mean age 35 years) and 47,985 non-pregnant age-restricted women (mean age 45 years) who underwent breast cancer surgery were identified. There was no significant difference between in-hospital mortality, length of stay, cost of hospitalization, or discharge disposition in these women.

Conclusion: Pregnant and non-pregnant women undergoing breast surgery for cancer have similar short-term outcomes.