New protocol to deliver optimal care for breastfeeding women with breast cancer

Managing women with breast cancer who are breastfeeding is a complex issue. The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine presents new recommendations in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine.

The aim of this new protocol is to guide clinicians in the delivery of optimal care of breastfeeding women as it relates to breast cancer, from screening to diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship."

Helen Johnson, MD and Katrina Mitchell, MD., Coauthors

It addresses the spectrum of care, including oncologic breast surgery, chemotherapy, and adjuvant and endocrine therapy. A section on breastfeeding women who have a previous history of breast cancer is included.

Arthur I. Eidelman, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Breastfeeding Medicine, states: "This protocol is a guide for mothers who are undergoing diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer. It emphasizes that they do not have to categorically give up on their nurturing role as breastfeeding moms."

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women worldwide. One in 20 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.