LEAMINGTON SPA, UK: A British mother has made medical history after successfully giving birth having had chemotherapy cancer treatment during her pregnancy. Thirty-year-old mum-to-be Sarah Best from Leamington Spa was diagnosed with mouth cancer when she was four months pregnant and was told that if she did not opt to have radiotherapy the cancer was sure to spread.

As Best underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to treat the mouth cancer, two five-cm thick lead shields were used to protect baby Jake from the radio waves. Best unexpectedly gave birth to a healthy baby boy just hours after receiving her last course of radiotherapy.

“I was devastated when I was told I had cancer,” Best, who had an operation to remove a tumour from her tongue, was quoted saying in The Telegraph. “The surgeons managed to remove most of it but they said they saw specks of cancer cells on my lymph nodes. I thought pregnancy was supposed to be the happiest time. You are supposed to feel wonderful. I was really worried about the effect the radiotherapy could have on the baby but the doctors said the lead shield would protect him.”

Best said she was expecting to have Jake at least a month after her treatment ended but suddenly went into labour on the last day of her treatment. “Jake is so special to us and thankfully is perfectly healthy. He is healthy, smiley and smart – I could not be luckier.”

Best, who described her new-born son as a "minimiracle", has been given the all clear from cancer. Consultant oncologist Lydia Fresco, who helped design and build the lead guard for Sarah, said in The Telegraph: "Sarah’s case was extremely rare. As far as published cases go she was the only woman with mouth cancer in the world to have this combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy while pregnant."