Hi A.,
There are rare congenital forms of cancer that can begin developing in the womb. Some, like cervical teratomas and lymphangiomas, can become large enough that they can obstruct the airway at birth. There are actually centers that specialize in delivering these very high-risk babies through prenatal surgery or by performing surgery at birth through a partial delivery process so the baby is still supported by the placenta. BTW, teratomas are germ-cell tumors that contain bits of different types of tissues, usually hair, skin, and teeth, so it kind of makes sense that they can arise in pregnancy, either in the developing fetus or alongside it as a "twin."
Other congenital cancers that I'm aware of are fibrosarcoma (found in muscle and bone)and types that affect the kidneys and eyes. Not all congenital cancers are apparent in the womb or at birth and may not be diagnosed until a couple of years after birth. Cases of congenital Burkitt's lymphoma (caused by the EBV virus) have also been reported, but it's rare to find this outside of African countries (and very uncommon there, too). There have also been rare cases of a pregnant woman with cancer "sharing" cancerous cells with the developing fetus.
Tanya's right -- your cousin needs to see an oncologist and a geneticist. I also agree that herbal remedies are unlikely to help in this situation, although theoretically, boosting some immune functions might help with normal immune system surveillance of precancerous and cancerous cells. Keep in mind, however, that many herbs can actually be quite potent carcinogens. Just because it's natural, doesn't make it safe. I wouldn't go chewing on hemlock, for example!
Good luck to your cousin. I hope everything works out for her.
