Can the irradiated uterus sustain a pregnancy? A literature review.
A significant number of adult pre- menopausal women are offered pelvic radical radiotherapy as part of the management of their malignancy. Advances in human reproductive research are making pregnancy a possibility for these women, but ovarian function, however, is not the only requirement for establishing and maintaining a pregnancy that will result in the delivery of a normal infant. The processes of implantation, fetal and placental development and labour require normal cervical structure and function. Radiation induces acute and late changes in the uterus that have a permanent impact. This article aims to summarise the published data on this complex subject. To date, the majority of reports of successful pregnancies refer to women who had hemi-pelvis or abdominal irradiation suggesting that partial volume irradiation of the uterus may not preclude pregnancy. However, with the current available information, women receiving a radical dose of radiotherapy to the whole uterus are very unlikely to have a successful pregnancy even if ovarian function is maintained. Systematic studies and, in particular, studies looking at modern radiotherapy techniques are required, as well as a register of pregnancies and outcomes to be able to provide answers for this group of patients.
Urbano
M T Guerrero
MT
Department of Clinical Oncology, Royal Marsden Hospital, Sutton, UK.
Tait
Diana M
DM
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D014599:Uterus / Q000528:radiation effects*