title: Tongue cancer during pregnancy: Surgery and more, a multidisciplinary challenge.
abstract: No international guidelines are available for the treatment of oral tongue cancer during pregnancy. Six patients with tongue cancer during pregnancy were identified by a retrospective chart review. In three of the cases we did not follow the standard treatment, the women had disease progression, and two of them died after a short time. A multidisciplinary discussion and literature review suggest that following the standard surgical procedure could be the optimal treatment to ensure mother and baby health in tongue cancer. Nonetheless choosing between maternal advantage and potential fetal damage should not be an individual medical decision. Treatment "customization" is a possibility. Patients and their families should be provided with comprehensive information and appropriate support in order to fully participate in the decision-making process. The patient's care may be improved if carried out in a specialized maternity center where the surgical oncologic treatment is managed together with the obstetric aspects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: marta.tagliabue@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tagliabue
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: dralaa.hamza@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Shimaa Hassan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Elrefaey
authors.affiliation: Fertility and Procreation Unit Division of Gynecologic Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: fedro.peccatori@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Fedro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Peccatori
authors.affiliation: University Department of Odontostomatological Diseases, Policlinico of Bari, Piazza Giulio Cesare 11, 70100 Bari, Italy. Electronic address: gianfrancofavia@libero.it.
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: valeria.navach@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Navach
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaringology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: lorenzo.pignataro@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pignataro
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaringology, Fondazione IRCCS Ca Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico of Milan, via Francesco Sforza 35, 20122 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: pasquale.capaccio@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Capaccio
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: marco.venturino@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venturino
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesiology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: stefano.tredici@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tredici
authors.affiliation: Advanced Radiotherapy Center, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: daniela.alterio@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alterio
authors.affiliation: NICU, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Via della Commenda 12, 20122, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: fabio.mosca@mangiagalli.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mosca
authors.affiliation: NICU, Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Via della Commenda 12, 20122, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: lorenza.pugni@mangiagalli.it.
authors.forename: Lorenza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pugni
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, IRCCS Fondazione Cà Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Via Francesco Sforza 28, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: giovi.scarfone@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Scarfone
authors.affiliation: Division of Head and Neck and Urogenital Medical Oncology, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: maria.cossurocca@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cossu Rocca
authors.affiliation: Division of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141 Milan, Italy. Electronic address: luca.calabrese@ieo.it.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calabrese
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Cancer during pregnancy; Cancer treatments during pregnancy; Oral cavity cancer; Tongue cancer