The management of breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma in the setting of pregnancy: seeking for clinical practice guidelines

Abstract

Breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a recently described form of T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma now formally recognized by the World Health Organization classification of lymphoid neoplasms. The aim of this paper is to report the first case of BIA-ALCL diagnosed in a pregnant patient. It is well known that BIA-ALCL appears as an indolent lymphoma with a good prognosis when diag-nosed at early stages and clinical guidelines for its management have been clearly published. Nevertheless, they lack a standardized approach for BIA-ALCL during pregnancy. With limited experience in our case, treatment has been safely postponed after term without affecting patient’s overall prognosis and without fetal complication. The fact that the disease was diagnosed at an early stage (stage I) undoubtedly influenced the course of treatment. A multidisciplinary approach weighing the risks and benefits of treatment is of paramount importance in order to ensure the best possible outcome for both the mother and her child and clinical update guidelines should be issued.