Embarazo en 18 mujeres que padecieron cancer en la infancia / Pregnancy in 18 women survivors of childhood cancer

ABSTRACT

To analyze the effect of cancer treatment on pregnancy, delivery and progeny of women survivors of childhood cancer, 18 of them (15 to 49 years of age) were interviewed, with diagnosis and treatment between july 1965 and December 1982 (15 from the Oncology Unit of the Children's Hospital of Buenos Aires and 3 from a private practice) and evaluated until December 2000. The following potential determinants to suffer adverse effects on pregnancy, delivery and descendence were considered: laparotomy, alkylating agents, doxorubicine, infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Diagnoses were: non-Hodgkin lymphoma 6, nephroblastoma 5, retinoblastoma 3, osteosarcoma 1, fibrosarcoma 1, Langerhans cell histiocytosis 2. Ten patients were laparotomized, 11 were treated with alkylating agents, 8 with doxorubicin and 7 with infradiaphragmatic radiotherapy. Twenty-eight offsprings were born. Congenital anomalies were not detected. Inherited cancer was observed in two siblings whose mother had suffered bilateral retinoblastoma. Additional follow-up from woman survivors of childhood cancer is necessary to determine the effect of cancer and its treatment on pregnancy, delivery and offspring