Clinical outcomes among pregnancy complicated by cancer: analysis of 41 cases

Objective.With a rising incidence of cancer in the reproductive age group and a rising contribution of indirect causes towards maternal mortality, the entity of cancer in pregnancy deserves more attention.Data from India is largely limited to individual case reports.To describe the demographic details, details regarding cancer, obstetric and neonatal outcomes among patients with cancer in pregnancy. Materials and Methods.A retrospective observational study was conducted by screening delivery and MTP records for the terms "cancer", "malignancy" in the "risks" column to identify patients.Three years data (January 2016-December 2018) was collected.Relevant obstetric history, pregnancy course, cancer treatment details and obstetric/ neonatal outcomes were noted.Results were tabulated.No comparison group was taken.Results.Over a 3-year period, 41 pregnancies with cancer with an average age of 28.7 years, majority second gravida were identified.Malignancies of the reproductive tract (11) and breast (7) were the most common, followed by other organs.Nineteen patients (46.34%) had cancer prior to pregnancy.28 patients underwent MTP and nine were preterm deliveries.Only four patients delivered at term.Six mothers needed ICU care and there were three mortalities.M a n u s c r i p t a c c e p t e d f o r p u b l i c a t i o n 2 Conclusions.Cancer in pregnancy, though rare, can pose several challenges to the obstetrician and the oncologist.Further prospective data is needed on the topic of cancer and pregnancy.