Colorectal Cancer in Pregnant Women: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge in an Extremely Rare Situation

Colorectal cancer (CCR) during pregnancy is a rare condition, with an incidence ranging from 0.0008% to 0.008%. The symptoms of CCR, such as nausea and rectal bleeding, can easily be mistaken for typical pregnancy-related complaints, which delays both diagnosis and treatment. This article reports the case of an invasive rectal cancer diagnosed during an investigation of rectal bleeding in a 37-year-old pregnant woman at 16 weeks of gestation. A multidisciplinary team decided to terminate the pregnancy to allow for optimal cancer management, including surgery and further treatment. The article discusses the challenges in diagnosing and managing colorectal cancer during pregnancy, emphasizing the importance of early detection, imaging, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to treatment.