A Brazilian singer has been diagnosed with terminal breast cancer at seven months pregnant.
Camila Campos, 29, was preparing for the birth of her second daughter with soccer star Leo Zagueiro when she learned she had the terminal disease earlier this month.
The tumor has already spread to her bones and, tragically, the odds of seeing her new baby grow up are slim.
Ms Campos’ unborn daughter should remain in good health, as breast cancer has never spread to a fetus, even though doctors say it’s theoretically possible.
However, the pregnancy may have made it more difficult to detect the cancer before it spread.
Camila Campos, 29, was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer while seven months pregnant with her second daughter
Ms Campos, who already has one daughter named Bela, shared the devastating news on Instagram this week
During pregnancy, a woman’s breasts tend to change shape, size, or appearance, which is also a tell-tale sign of breast cancer.
The breasts can also leak fluid, which could be mistaken for lactation.
Because of this, it can be difficult to detect breast cancer in women who are pregnant or have recently given birth, leading to later diagnoses, once the cancer has already spread and is harder to treat.
Roughly one in 3,000 pregnant women are diagnosed with breast cancer, making it the most common cancer in pregnant and postpartum women.
Most women tend to be diagnosed at later stages, as they mistake breast changes and other common symptoms for pregnancy side effects.
Ms Campos said that she has started a chemotherapy.
She noted that her hair has already started falling out from the treatment. She has not clarified if her baby has suffered any effects from the treatment.
Chemotherapy is generally considered safe during pregnancy, though the American Cancer Society recommends against it during the first trimester, as it can increase the risk of stillbirth and malformations as the fetus’ organs form.
It takes roughly 18 to 20 weeks for the placenta to fully develop. This organ serves as a barrier between mother and baby, preventing certain medications from passing to the baby.
Cancer Research UK states that certain forms of chemotherapy cannot pass through the placenta, making them safe after about 14 weeks.
However, chemotherapy should be stopped about three weeks before birth, as it can lower blood cell counts can cause increased bleeding during delivery.
Radiation and hormone therapy are also avoided during pregnancy to avoid harming the fetus.
Ms Campos has not clarified if radiation or other therapies are included in her treatment plan.
The cancer itself should not spread to her baby, research shows. Cancer cells have been shown to be able to pass through the placenta and spread to the baby, though this is extremely rare, and the exact risk has not been calculated. Breast cancer has never been shown to transfer from mother to baby.
Ms Campos, a gospel singer, said she has started treatment, and her hair has already begun falling out
‘Please pray for me, my baby in my womb Sofia, and my firstborn Bela as well as my husband,’ Ms Campos wrote on Instagram
Additionally, one study published in JAMA Oncology suggested that women with cancer could be up to five times more likely to die in childbirth than those without cancer. The researchers found that this was most common in women with breast cancer.
However, it’s unclear if having cancer while pregnant and giving birth makes women die younger than those who did 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 of my life. Seven months pregnant, feeling a lot of discomfort, crying from back pain, I was faced with the diagnosis of breast cancer, which has now spread to my bones.’
‘I left spring and went straight into winter.’
Ms Campos clinging to her strong faith to cope with the diagnosis.
‘Today my feelings are still a little messed up, which is why I couldn’t talk to you guys before,’ she wrote. ‘But I am slowly getting it together with the help of Christ.’
‘Please pray for me, my baby in my womb Sofia, and my firstborn Bela as well as my husband.’
Mr Zagueiro wrote on Instagram in a separate update: ‘These last few days, I confess, have not been easy, amid so many processes and diagnoses that we never expected.
‘But seeing so many messages of support and prayers has strengthened our hearts and faith.’
Breast cancer is the most common form of the disease in US women, affecting more than 300,000 patients per year and killing 42,000.
