Breast Carcinogenesis during Pregnancy: Molecular Mechanisms, Maternal and Fetal Adverse Outcomes.
Georgia Margioula-SiarkouChrysoula Margioula-SiarkouStamatios PetousisEleftherios VavoulidisKosmas MargaritisAristarchos AlmperisCostas HaitoglouGeorge MavromatidisKonstantinos DinasPublished in: Biology (2023)
Breast cancer is a common type of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, with increasing incidence over the last years, as more women choose to delay childbearing. Compared to breast cancer in general population, pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is significantly different in its terms of epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic management, while it exhibits particularly aggressive behavior, deriving from its unique molecular and biological profile. Although not fully elucidated, the pathophysiological basis of PABC can be traced back to a combination of hormonal and immune changes during pregnancy, breast involution and altered gene expression. There is considerable controversy in the existing literature about the influence of PABC on pregnancy outcomes, regarding both short- and long-term effects on maternal and fetal/neonatal health. The majority of PABC patients have advanced-stage disease at initial diagnosis and face a significantly poorer prognosis, with decreased survival rates. The most commonly reported adverse obstetrical-fetal events are preterm delivery and prematurity-associated neonatal morbidity, while other neonatal treatment-associated complications might also occur, even when safe therapeutic options are applied during pregnancy. The objective of the present comprehensive review was to summarize current knowledge and up-to-date evidence about the pathophysiological, molecular and biological basis of PABC, as well as its association with adverse maternal, obstetrical, fetal and neonatal outcomes.
Keyphrases
- pregnancy outcomes
- pregnant women
- gene expression
- healthcare
- risk factors
- end stage renal disease
- birth weight
- systematic review
- newly diagnosed
- ejection fraction
- preterm infants
- chronic kidney disease
- low birth weight
- peritoneal dialysis
- gestational age
- mental health
- body mass index
- type diabetes
- metabolic syndrome
- skeletal muscle
- single molecule
- emergency department
- squamous cell carcinoma
- adverse drug
- preterm birth
- social media
- climate change
- free survival
- risk assessment
- insulin resistance