The mother of two and her family are committed to supporting lifesaving research.
Caroline Moore remembers the moment clearly. It was a Saturday evening last October – what would have been a date night for her and her husband – when she was told devastating news.
“I was 33 years old and six months pregnant when my world came apart,” she says.
For three months Caroline had suffered from severe back pain and could barely walk, but doctors believed the pain was related to her pregnancy. When her legs stopped working, she received an MRI. It revealed a large tumor on her spinal cord. Twenty minutes later, she was prepped for emergency spinal surgery with her husband holding their 20-month-old son and her mother alongside her while she tried to take in the news.
“The doctor told us, with tears in her eyes, that they needed to operate immediately. There was no guarantee – even with the surgery – that I may walk again,” Caroline said.
The surgery took four hours and confirmed that the tumor was malignant. She was diagnosed with stage IV triple positive breast cancer.
Imaging revealed Caroline’s cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, liver, and bones. After recovering from her spinal surgery, Caroline received cancer treatment both during her pregnancy and after safely delivering her daughter, Genevieve.
“Thankfully, today she is a healthy, happy, alert, growing, and big girl,” Caroline says.
During this time, her family surrounded her. Caroline’s parents moved in. Her in-laws rented a house nearby. On three occasions, her sister in-law drove to St. Louis from Chicago to take Caroline to chemotherapy while juggling her own responsibilities of being a working mother with two little girls.
“We have felt nothing but complete support from family since day one. It wasn’t unexpected because we have such great families, but it was greatly appreciated.”
Her family has also rallied around the importance of breast cancer research – committing themselves to raising funds for BCRF in Caroline’s honor.
“The more research that is funded, the faster new discoveries will be made and more lives will be saved. I am alive because of research that has happened in just the past 10 to 20 years,” Caroline says.
“For now my disease seems to be contained, but I am under no illusions about an uncertain future. My doctors warn that I still have a long, hard road ahead of me,” she says.
“In some ways just my continued existence is a miracle. But the true miracle will not occur until a cure is found for metastatic breast cancer.”
Click here for more information on Caroline’s story and how to donate in her honor.
Frequently asked questions about breast cancer during pregnancy
Yes. Although a stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis during pregnancy is rare and medically complex, some people are able to carry a pregnancy to term and deliver a healthy baby. Care is highly individualized and requires close coordination between oncology specialists and maternal-fetal medicine teams to balance cancer treatment with fetal safety.
Certain treatments can be administered safely depending on the trimester. Surgery is often possible at any stage of pregnancy, and some chemotherapy regimens may be used during the second and third trimesters. Radiation therapy and many targeted or hormone therapies are typically delayed until after delivery.
Pregnancy itself has not been shown to accelerate metastatic breast cancer progression, although data is limited due to the rarity of the situation. However, treatment options may be more restricted during pregnancy, making close monitoring and coordinated care especially important.
Yes. Some women, including advocates such as Caroline Moore, have shared their experiences living with breast cancer during pregnancy. While each journey is unique, these stories highlight the importance of early diagnosis, expert care teams, strong support systems, and advances in research.
Supporting organizations like BCRF through donations or fundraising directly fuels research that improves treatment options and outcomes for women facing breast cancer during pregnancy.
