Pregnant mother with cancer determined to keep her baby, cannot lie on her back during cesarean section

Unexpectedly diagnosed with stage 3 nasopharyngeal cancer while 5 months pregnant, the 35-year-old woman (Hai Phong) still accepted the risk, refusing chemotherapy to keep her child until the end.

Sharing about this case, doctors at the Central Obstetrics Hospital said that Ms. BTMT was 22 weeks pregnant when she had difficulty speaking and swallowing. She went to the doctor and was diagnosed with late-stage nasopharyngeal cancer. At this time, the tumor was 4cm in size in the neck area and had spread to the supraclavicular lymph nodes.

Ms. T was advised to undergo chemotherapy while keeping the pregnancy at K Hospital ( Hanoi ). However, because of fear of affecting the baby, she agreed not to undergo treatment, accepting all risks so that the fetus could grow. "My biggest wish is for my baby to be born safely," Ms. T shared.

The large neck tumor forced Ms. T to lie with her head elevated, making it difficult to place an IV line.

For 3 months, her condition became increasingly severe, the tumor grew rapidly, causing Ms. T to have difficulty swallowing and speaking, having to lie with her head elevated, poor nutrition, and slow fetal development. A week before the surgery, she was admitted to the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Maternity Hospital.

The baby was injected with lung maturation to prepare for the "brain-weighing" cesarean section. At 35 weeks of pregnancy, the mother's endurance had "reached its limit", an interdisciplinary consultation and hospital leadership decided to perform a cesarean section to ensure the safety of both mother and child.

Dr. Nguyen Thai Giang, Deputy Head of the Department of Gynecological Oncology, Central Obstetrics Hospital, said that this is the first case doctors have encountered where a pregnant woman has severe nasopharyngeal cancer.

"The patient accepted to sacrifice the opportunity for early treatment to keep her child, persevered, and endured the pain. When she returned, her condition was very serious, she was almost exhausted," said Dr. Giang.

The biggest difficulty in the operating room was anesthesia and resuscitation. The large neck tumor prevented Ms. T from lying on her back, making it difficult to place an IV line and intubate, with increased blood vessels and a high risk of bleeding. The team had to operate in the Fowler position and prepare for any eventuality.

The baby boy was born healthy, bringing boundless happiness to his mother who was suffering from a serious illness.

The patient could only lie half-sitting, half-lying. It was an extremely challenging situation for anesthesiologists.

After a few tense moments, with the smooth coordination of the entire team, the surgery was a success. The baby boy was born safely, weighing 2.3kg, rosy, healthy, crying loudly amid the emotions of the mother and the medical team.

After the cesarean section, the mother continued her journey of recovery and treatment for nasopharyngeal cancer.

Dr. Giang said that cancer can occur at any time, including during pregnancy. Therefore, if there are any unusual signs, pregnant women need to go to the doctor early for timely diagnosis, consultation and treatment. Only early detection can protect both mother and child.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/y-te/me-bau-bi-ung-thu-quyet-giu-con-khi-mo-lay-thai-khong-the-nam-ngua-i783232/