You may be pregnant when you recently discover you’ve developed lung cancer.
As devastating as this may be, you’re far from alone: Lung cancer is increasingly being detected in young women, and many are diagnosed during pregnancy. If you’re in this situation, here are a few things you need to know:
Lung cancer can develop after asbestos exposure
Typically, it is found that pregnant women don’t develop any specific kind of cancer during pregnancy, however, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. In general, women have a 1 in 1000 chance of developing some form of cancer, with breast, ovarian and thyroid cancers being particularly common.
What causes lung cancer, however? It can be difficult to say, but it’s possible that you were exposed to asbestos years before. Asbestos has a high chance of causing people to suffer from lung cancer. The illness may not develop immediately, but it can happen in the future and develop or get diagnosed at a crucial time – like during your pregnancy.
Cancer can be scary to find out when you’re considering the health of your child but may have a very low chance of affecting your child – although any health decisions you make for you and your child should be done with the advice of a physician.
Even if your child isn’t affected by your cancer, you are and medical bills can be outrageous. You may also be worried about providing for your child’s needs in the future. If you find you’re diagnosed with cancer and believe you were exposed to asbestos in the past through your occupation or some other means, you may need to reach out for legal help.