Women who are survivors of childhood cancer have a lower likelihood of becoming pregnant compared to other women, but once pregnant, they do not have an increased likelihood of undergoing miscarriage. These findings come from a new study published online in the Cancer journal, a prestigious peer-reviewed health magazine affiliated with the American Cancer Society.
The study indicates that cancer survivors may hesitate to start a family due to concerns about the health of their children, as well as the potential for recurrence of cancer. This can lead to an increased likelihood of induced miscarriage among women who were affected by cancer in childhood and have since survived. To examine whether pregnancies of cancer survivors from their childhood are more likely to end in induced miscarriage, Dr. Joanna Melin and her research team compared births and induced abortions.
When the researchers compared 420 first pregnancies of childhood cancer survivors with 2,508 first pregnancies in the general population between 1987 and 2013, they found that survivors had a 28% lower likelihood of pregnancy compared to women in the general population. However, the risk of induced (intentional) miscarriage was roughly the same between the two groups.
Dr. Melin stated, "Our study shows that the risk of pregnancy termination is similar among childhood cancer survivors and other women, suggesting that survivors wish, like their peers, to continue pregnancy and start a family. Additionally, our study found no increased risk of birth defects in children born to cancer survivors; in our study, termination of pregnancy due to congenital anomalies or fetal defects was extremely rare among women who survived childhood cancer."
Dr. Melin also pointed out that the reduced likelihood of pregnancy among cancer survivors who participated in the study highlights the ongoing need for health and psychological interventions to maintain fertility during treatment. This supports the fertility preservation initiative for cancer patients by the American Cancer Society.
