Hormonal treatment in pregnancy: a possible risk factor for neuroblastoma.
In the last 4 years, 24 cases of neuroblastoma were treated in the Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Unit at the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, 8 of whom were under 1 year of age. Four of them were the product of a pregnancy-induced or preserved by gonadotropins, clomiphene citrate, or progestational hormones. These drugs are known to produce a higher than normal level of estradiol or progesterone in the early stages of pregnancy. Our observation led to the hypothesis that high levels of progestational hormones given during pregnancy are a risk factor for neuroblastoma in infancy.
Mandel
M
M
Institute of Hematology, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel.
Toren
A
A
Rechavi
G
G
Dor
J
J
Ben-Bassat
I
I
Neumann
Y
Y
D004092:20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D001971:Bromocriptine; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002996:Clomiphene; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First / Q000187:drug effects; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011372:Progestins / Q000009:adverse effects*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D011372:Progestins; D004092:20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D002996:Clomiphene; D001971:Bromocriptine