Evaluating Cancer-Related Death Risk Among Pregnant Women

Researchers examined trends and characteristics of severe adverse health conditions, outcomes and death among pregnant women with cancer in the United States.

The risks of severe maternal morbidity and mortality were increased among pregnancies complicated by cancer, according to a new study published in JAMA Oncology.

Cancer Related Pregnancy Complications: Unknown Risk Factor

Severe maternal morbidity is increasing in the US. The rising rate of maternal morbidity is likely driven by a multitude of factors, including increasing maternal age, higher rates of obesity, increased medical comorbidity among patients, and a rising cesarean delivery rate.

To date, little data have examined the association between cancer and maternal morbidity and mortality. Not only is the incidence of cancer in women of reproductive age increasing but as treatment improves, women with cancer are living longer.

Pregnancy and Complications
In-depth guide for expecting mothers to overcome health complications related to early or late pregnancy. Anemia, urinary infection, diabetes, premature labor to name a few.

‘Avoiding delay in diagnosis and treatment in case of pregnancy-related cancer could potentially improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.’

In addition, there has been an increased focus on fertility preservation in both men and women of reproductive age and with cancer.

Considering these facts, the new study examined nationwide trends and characteristics of severe maternal morbidity and mortality among pregnant women with cancer in the US.

Researchers performed a population-based study using data from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample and analyzed 14 648 135 deliveries for national estimates from January 2016 through December 2019.

Is Pregnancy After Cancer Treatment is Safe for the Mother?

They examined patients with an International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision code for cancer, as defined by the National Cancer Institute, and American Cancer Society classification for case identification (40 types in 16 systems). Patients with cancer were compared with those without.

Breast Cancer during Pregnancy - Staging, Signs, Diagnosis and Treatment
Management of breast cancer during pregnancy or pregnancy associated breast cancer requires special consideration to avoid harm to the fetus.

They found that the prevalence rate of pregnancy with cancer was 69.3 per 100,000 deliveries and increased from 64.5 to 73.4 between 2016 and 2019.

The most common cancer type was breast cancer, followed by lymphoma, leukemia and gynecologic cancers. Over time, the prevalence of skin, soft tissue, breast and oral cavity/pharyngeal cancers increased.

Is Pregnancy Possible After In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) With Just One Ovary?
New analysis shows the impact of a single ovary on fertility and pregnancy despite undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Factors associated with cancer included patient characteristics with advanced age, more recent years of delivery, the White race, obesity, smoking, preexisting hypertension and chemotherapy exposure, and pregnancy characteristics with early preterm delivery and cesarean delivery.

After accounting for potential mediators between cancer and adverse outcomes, including obstetric factors and delivery factors, patients with the cancer were more likely to experience severe maternal morbidity.

Hypertension During Pregnancy Increases Heart Disease Risk
Women with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) are at a higher risk for developing heart disease in the later stages of their lives.

Key limitations included lack of information on cancer stage and anticancer treatment, disease status at the time of delivery, inability to perform cancer type-specific analyses owing to limited sample size and ascertainment bias. Researchers hope future studies would cover these areas.

Source-Medindia