Prognostic effect of pregnancy on young female patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: results from a matched cohort analysis

Abstract

ObjectivesWe aimed to evaluate the prognosis of pregnancy-associated patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a young population.MethodsFrom June 1999 to December 2010, 51 patients aged ≤ 35 years who were diagnosed with NPC during pregnancy or within one year after delivery were admitted into the pregnancy-associated group in our institution. An additional 51 patients who were not pregnant at diagnosis were selected from 451 patients based on the matching criteria to match the pregnancy-associated female patients. The primary endpoint was overall survival (OS). The secondary endpoints were progression-free survival (PFS) and distant-metastasis failure-free survival (DMFS) and locoregional failure-free survival (LRFS).ResultsThe advanced stage was not different between the pregnant and the non-pregnant group before matching (69.8% vs. 70.3%, P = 0.690). No difference in OS at the median follow-up time of 92 months was observed between the pregnancy-associated and the non-pregnant group (85.4% vs. 92.2%, P = 0.478); likewise, no differences were observed regarding PFS and DMFS. However, the pregnancy-associated group had worse LRFS than the non-pregnant group (84.8% vs. 95.9%, P = 0.033). When the pregnancy-associated patients were dichotomized into an early pregnancy group and a late pregnancy group, our data showed that pregnancy interval did not seem to impact the risk of death or relapse.ConclusionOur results show that patients in the pregnant group did not seem to have more advanced stage or inferior survival than that in the non-pregnant group.

<p>Outcomes and Experiences of Child-Bearing Women with Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma</p>

“…Moreover, the result of the study is generally similar to previous studies, which indicated that childbirth itself may not negatively influence the survival outcomes in patients with pregnancy-associated NPC. 21,22 One woman, who wished to become pregnant after her NPC treatment, generally had a satisfying body recovery. The previous study about childbearing and survival after breast carcinoma in young women also has revealed that relatively healthier women are more likely to become pregnant than women with adverse disease sequelae or poor prognosis, 23 which is called "healthy mother effect" and it may account for the result that patients who had delivered a child had a better prognosis.…”

Head and neck cancer during pregnancy

“…Pregnancy was associated with poorer prognosis, with one patient (11%) out of nine alive without disease at 5 years, compared with 83% in the nonpregnant group (P < .01). 35 in another case-control study of 102 patients. These results by Yan et al should be cautiously interpreted because 33% of their patients were in their eighth month of pregnancy, and radiotherapy was delayed until delivery.…”

“…34 Similar results were reported. 35 in another case-control study of 102 patients. Both groups had 70% of advanced stages (P = .69).…”