A Brazilian singer was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer during her seven-month pregnancy.
Camila Campos, 29, was preparing for the birth of her second daughter with soccer star Leo Zagueiro when she learned she had the terminal illness earlier this month.
The tumor has already spread to her bones and the chances of her baby ever growing up are unfortunately slim.
Ms Campos’ unborn daughter is expected to be in good health, as breast cancer has never spread to a fetus, even though doctors say it is theoretically possible.
However, the pregnancy may have made it more difficult to detect the cancer before it spread.
Camila Campos, 29, was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer while seven months pregnant with her second daughter
Ms Campos, who already has a daughter named Bela, shared the devastating news on Instagram this week
During pregnancy, a woman’s breasts may change in shape, size, or appearance. This can also be a sign of breast cancer.
There may also be fluid leakage from the breasts, which can be confused with lactation.
Therefore, it can be difficult to detect breast cancer in women who are pregnant or have recently given birth. As a result, the diagnosis is delayed because the cancer has already spread and is more difficult to treat.
About one in 3,000 pregnant women is diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common form of cancer in pregnant women and women who have just given birth.
Most women are diagnosed at a later stage because they mistake breast changes and other common symptoms for side effects of pregnancy.
Mrs. Campos said she has started chemotherapy.
She noted that her hair had already started to fall out due to the treatment. She did not clarify whether her baby had any effects from the treatment.
Chemotherapy is generally considered safe during pregnancy. However, the American Cancer Society advises against it during the first trimester because it can increase the risk of stillbirth and malformations in the fetus’s developing organs.
It takes about 18 to 20 weeks for the placenta to fully develop. This organ serves as a barrier between mother and baby, preventing certain medications from reaching the baby.
Cancer Research UK states that certain types of chemotherapy cannot cross the placenta, making them safe after about 14 weeks.
However, chemotherapy should be stopped about three weeks before birth because it can lower blood cell counts and thus cause more blood loss during delivery.
Radiation and hormone therapy are also avoided during pregnancy to prevent harm to the fetus.
Ms. Campos did not clarify whether radiation or other therapies were included in her treatment plan.
The cancer itself should not spread to her baby, research shows. Cancer cells can cross the placenta and spread to the baby, although this is extremely rare and the exact risk has not been calculated. Breast cancer has never been passed from mother to baby.
Ms Campos, a gospel singer, said she has started treatment and her hair has already fallen out
“Please pray for me, my baby in my belly Sofia, and my firstborn Bela, and also for my husband,” Mrs. Campos wrote on Instagram
In addition, a study has been published in JAMA Oncology suggested that women with cancer are up to five times more likely to die during childbirth than women without cancer. The researchers found that this was most common in women with breast cancer.
However, it is unclear whether women who have cancer during pregnancy and childbirth die younger than women who do not have cancer during childbirth.
Ms Campos said in an update on Instagram this week, pictured in a hospital bed: ‘God’s processes in my life… no, it’s not a new haircut.’
‘A few days ago I entered a new phase in my life. Seven months pregnant, in great discomfort, crying from the pain in my back, I was confronted with the diagnosis of breast cancer, which has now spread to my bones.’
“I left spring and went straight into winter.”
Ms. Campos clings to her strong faith to cope with the diagnosis.
“Today my feelings are still a little confused, that’s why I couldn’t talk to you before,” she wrote. “But I’m slowly getting it right with the help of Christ.”
‘Please pray for me, for my baby in my belly Sofia, for my firstborn Bela and for my husband.’
Mr Zagueiro wrote in a separate update on Instagram: ‘I must confess that the last few days have not been easy, with so many processes and diagnoses that we never expected.
“But seeing so many expressions of support and prayers has strengthened our hearts and our faith.”
Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in American women, affecting more than 300,000 patients and killing 42,000 each year.
