Transplacental and other routes of cancer transmission between individuals.
Cancer in pregnancy is not rare, and the possibility of transmission of malignancy from mother to child, while infrequent, represents a clinical challenge for the primary pediatric hematologist-oncologist. The authors summarize all reported cases of vertically transmitted cancer and review other reported cases of person-to-person transfer of malignancy. As these cases represent a unique physiologic model of tumor transplantation, the biology of cancer transmission is discussed and provisional guidelines are given for the screening of infants born to women with cancer.
Tolar
Jakub
J
Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood and Marrow Transplantation, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, USA. tolar@lenti.med.umn.edu
Neglia
Joseph P
JP
D018562:Disease Transmission, Infectious; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018445:Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000473:pathology*