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Abstract

This chapter describes cancers of reproductive health importance that may occur in association with pregnancy, such as breast cancer, cervical cancer, ovarian cancer and malignant trophoblastic disease. It highlights the diagnostic, therapeutic and ethical dilemma that exists for physicians and patients especially when the cancer is diagnosed at a stage in pregnancy when the foetus is not viable for extrauterine survival or the standard recommended treatment modality is not very safe for use in pregnancy. It recommends that the goal of management should be to provide the best available treatment for the woman while minimising harm to the developing foetus as much as possible. Treatment should be provided within a multidisciplinary team setting and should consider the risks, benefits and alternatives of the treatment modalities. It also recommends that the sociocultural, ethical, moral and spiritual dimensions of the proposed treatment for the patient are important factors that should be considered and discussed.

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Ezeanochie, M.C. (2021). Neoplastic Diseases in Pregnancy. In: Okonofua, F., Balogun, J.A., Odunsi, K., Chilaka, V.N. (eds) Contemporary Obstetrics and Gynecology for Developing Countries . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75385-6_37

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75385-6_37

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-75384-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-75385-6

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