title: Safety of rituximab therapy during the first trimester of pregnancy: a case history.
abstract: The optimal treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) during pregnancy is currently undefined. The potential teratogenic effects of conventional chemotherapy preclude its use during the first trimester of pregnancy. We report the case of a pregnant woman with relapsed indolent follicular NHL who was treated with rituximab (unintentionally) during the first trimester. The treatment stabilised the disease. Following an uncomplicated pregnancy, a healthy child was born at full term and careful haematological and immunological monitoring has revealed no adverse effects resulting from exposure to rituximab. Data of using rituximab during pregnancy are scarce, but the present case shows that rituximab may be one option for treatment of NHL in early pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology, Karolinska Institutet at Huddinge University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. eva.kimby@swipnet.se
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kimby
authors.forename: Asgerdur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sverrisdottir
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elinder
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017338:Cladribine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003561:Cytarabine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D018450:Disease Progression; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005047:Etoposide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007069:Ifosfamide / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008935:Mitoguazone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D036102:Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation; D011241:Prednisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D012074:Remission Induction; D000069283:Rituximab; D012449:Safety; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014750:Vincristine / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D058846:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003561:Cytarabine; D017338:Cladribine; D000069283:Rituximab; D014750:Vincristine; D005047:Etoposide; D003907:Dexamethasone; D004317:Doxorubicin; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D008935:Mitoguazone; D002945:Cisplatin; D007069:Ifosfamide; D011241:Prednisone; D008727:Methotrexate