Awareness towards an increasing concern during pregnancy: maternal and perinatal outcomes of women with cancer

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increased incidence of cancer in women of childbearing age and improvements on treatment for preserving fertility have led to higher frequency of pregnancy during or after cancer treatment. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe maternal and perinatal outcomes associated with cancer and pregnancy and, as a secondary analysis, to compare outcomes of women with active disease and with remission before pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: We performed a retrospective study of women followed up at a referral center owing to a history of cancer or cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Data on sociodemographic information, obstetrical history, types of neoplasia, treatments offered, antenatal follow-up, and maternal and perinatal outcomes were retrieved from medical chart review. A descriptive analysis was performed and a comparison among women with active and nonactive disease was performed using Student t-test and chi-square test. RESULTS: A total of 66 women were included in a 5-year period. The most frequent types of cancer were breast (33%), hematologic (21%), brain (11%), cervical (9%), and ovarian (5%) cancers. There were 39 participants (59%) who had active disease and 26 who received oncological treatment during pregnancy, and 23 (34.8%) had a vaginal delivery. There were 4 women who needed intensive care unit admission postpartum. A total of 18 (29.5%) deliveries were at term, most newborns (59%) with adequate weight for gestational age and only 1 had Apgar score lower than 7 in the fifth minute of life. There was 1 stillbirth. The active invasive cancer during pregnancy group showed a higher rate of preterm birth and lower birthweight with significant statistical difference (P¼.03 and P<.01, respectively). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer was the most frequent type of cancer in our cohort. Most deliveries were preterm, with adequate birthweight. Women with active cancer are more likely to have a preterm childbirth and newborns with lower birthweight.

Maternal and perinatal outcomes following a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma during or prior to pregnancy: A systematic review

“…After titles and abstracts were screened, 76 full‐text articles were reviewed. Authors of five articles, 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 and three conference abstracts, 39 , 40 , 41 were contacted by email for data specific to HL. Two responses were received; one provided the requested data.…”

Outcomes of the First Pregnancy After Fertility-Sparing Surgery for Early-Stage Cervical Cancer

“…8,19 Moreover, estimates from studies that included patients diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy or postpartum 20,21 are challenging to interpret, because such patients are at higher risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. 19,22…”

“…8,19 Moreover, estimates from studies that included patients diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy or postpartum 20,21 are challenging to interpret, because such patients are at higher risk of adverse obstetric outcomes. 19,22 Therefore, we sought to characterize obstetric outcomes for the first pregnancy after fertilitysparing surgery in patients with early-stage cervical cancer who delivered after cancer treatment compared with matched participants in control groups, using a population-level database.…”

Neonatal outcomes for women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy — single-center study

“…After a natural birth, oncological treatment can be started faster -chemotherapy after a natural delivery is possible almost immediately, and after an uncomplicated caesarean section, after about a week. The decision to perform caesarean section may be made based on obstetric or oncological indications [6,[10][11][12]. Breastfeeding of a newborn by a pregnant woman suffering from a malignant tumor during pregnancy is possible.…”