6month pregnant pancreatic cancer patient from Afghanistan was operated Fortis Hospital,Vasant Kunj.

A six-month pregnant pancreatic cancer patient from Afghanistan was operated at Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj. Having been denied treatment in her native country, the patient was successfully treated by Dr. Amit Javed, Director, Gastrointestinal Oncology, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj along with his team. Both mother and the baby in her womb are fine. There are only a handful of reported Whipple’s surgeries done on pregnant women patients across the world and this is probably the first in India. The patient (Fahima) was five and a half months pregnant when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The first major challenge was in making the diagnosis itself. This is because in pregnancy, abdominal discomfort, nausea, and vomiting are common and even jaundice may occur. The commonly used method to diagnose pancreatic cancer is CT scan of the abdomen which is avoided in pregnancy as it is harmful to the foetus. Once the diagnosis was made, early surgical management is of utmost importance.