title: Cancer during pregnancy: perinatal outcome after in utero exposure to chemotherapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the outcome of pregnancies complicated by malignant disease, in particular neonatal morbidity and mortality after in utero exposure to chemotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study included 118 patients diagnosed with malignant disease for the first time during pregnancy over an 8-year period (March 2003-March 2011). Outcome of neonates born to mothers who received chemotherapy during pregnancy was studied and compared with a control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The commonest cancer type diagnosed during pregnancy (56/118 = 47.45 %) was breast carcinoma followed by lymphoma/leukemia (32 = 27.12 %). Gynecological tumors (all ovarian) represented 10.16 %, soft tissue tumors 5.08 %, colorectal 4.23 %, thyroid 2.54 % and others 3.38 %. Sixty-one (51.64 %) women received chemotherapy (average 3 ± 2 cycles) during the second and third trimesters. The incidence of neonatal survival, preterm birth, small for gestational age and congenital malformations was not significantly different between women who received chemotherapy during pregnancy and the control group. Five (4.23 %) women with advanced disease died during or shortly after termination of pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In utero exposure to chemotherapy during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy carries minimal morbidity to the unborn fetus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt. elsaidhady@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: El-Said
authors.initials: el-S
authors.lastname: Abdel-Hady
authors.forename: Reda Abdel-Hady
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Hemida
authors.forename: Anas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamal
authors.forename: Maha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Zafarany
authors.forename: Eman
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toson
authors.forename: Mohammed Attia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: El-Bayoumi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007236:Infant, Small for Gestational Age; D007938:Leukemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents