LOCALLY ADVANCED BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSED IN THE EARLY POSTPARTUM PERIOD: A CASE REPORT
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Abstract
Pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) is frequently diagnosed with a delay because physiological changes in the breast during pregnancy and lactation mask the tumor's clinical manifestations. According to current data, postpartum breast cancer is characterized by a more aggressive course and a poorer prognosis.
This case report describes a 38-year-old patient who presented with ulceration and hypertrophy of the right nipple and «peau d'orange» skin changes; targeted ultrasound confirmed multiple masses in the right breast (BI-RADS 4-5) accompanied by regional lymphedema and lymphadenopathy. The case illustrates the diagnostic challenges posed by the masking effect of physiological breast changes during pregnancy and lactation and underscores the need for targeted breast examinations at all stages of pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration between obstetrician-gynecologists and oncologists when a malignant breast neoplasm is suspected.
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