title: Cancer in pregnancy: maternal and fetal implications on decision-making.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer complicates one out of 1,000 pregnancies. No standardized therapeutic interventions have been reported for these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifteen patients with cancer during pregnancy were diagnosed between 6.5 and 36 weeks of gestational age between January 1991 and December 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 15 cases one patient with early diagnosis (11 weeks) asked for interruption of pregnancy, two patients rejected chemotherapy in order to avoid fetal effects, seven patients underwent surgery during the first or second trimester, and two patients agreed to start the treatment only after delivery. Standard platinum-based chemotherapy (cisDDP) was postponed in six patients to the second trimester (administered after surgery in 2 cases). Chemotherapy was started between 18.3 and 29.6 weeks (median 22.3 weeks). One patient had pPROM (22.3 weeks) after chemotherapy with cisDDP. Ten patients were delivered by elective cesarean section and three by vaginal delivery. Mean gestational age at delivery was 33.5 weeks (range 32.1-40.0); mean weight at birth was 2,550 g (range 1,250-3,450). None of the newborns showed congenital malformations, and all had normal Apgar scores. Anemia occurred in two newborns. At a median follow-up of 56 months (range 2-198 months) all children were well and healthy. Eleven out of 15 mothers are alive and well, and one is alive with disease. An advanced neoplasm was diagnosed in three patients who died.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When platinum-based chemotherapy is administered during the 2nd-3rd trimester, adverse effects in newborns are comparable to those in the general population. Deliberate treatment delay to achieve fetal viability or to improve fetal outcome may be reasonable for patients with early-stage cancer.
authors: Department Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Brescia, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gambino
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Gorio
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Carrara
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Agoni
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Franzini
authors: G P
authors: GP
authors: Lupi
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Maggino
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Romagnolo
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Sartori
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Pecorelli
mesh_terms: D000014:Abnormalities, Drug-Induced / Q000209:etiology; D000328:Adult; D001724:Birth Weight; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000628:therapy*; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy