While cancer diagnoses during pregnancy remain rare, they are becoming more frequent. A New South Wales (NSW) study found that such cases rose from 94 per 100,000 births in 1994 to 163 per 100,000 in 2013. A 2023 Swedish study showed similar trends.
About a quarter of these cancers are diagnosed before childbirth, with the rest detected within a year postpartum.
Common Cancers During Pregnancy
Studies in the UK and NSW found breast and skin cancers (often melanoma) to be the most common, followed by thyroid, gynecological, and blood cancers. In the UK, 92% were new diagnoses, and 82% of cases showed symptoms. Despite treatment, 20% of affected mothers died within five years, with gastrointestinal cancers having the highest mortality rate due to late diagnoses.
Reasons Behind the Rise
Factors include older maternal age, use of prenatal genetic screening revealing maternal conditions, and hormonal changes during pregnancy. Environmental factors like UV exposure and smoking also play a role, but their direct link to rising cases is unclear.
Treatment and Newborn Impact
Treatments like surgery can occur during any trimester. Chemotherapy is avoided in the first trimester but is possible later, while radiotherapy and immunotherapy require careful planning. Preterm births are more common to allow maternal treatment, often leading to low birth weights but no increased newborn mortality.
Future Research Needs
As reported by medicalxpress, researchers urge combining cancer and obstetric data in national databases to improve understanding, screening, and treatment outcomes for pregnancy-associated cancers.