 Major Study Shows Radiotherapy's harmful Impact On Pregnancy
Source: Emma Wilkinson, BBC News Date: 8/13/09
Cancer survivors who underwent radiotherapy have a dramatically increased risk of delivering a premature or underweight baby according to a large British study of more than 10,000 women.
Researchers at Bringham University cautioned that doctors should offer closer monitoring
in women that fall into this category. More specifically, women who have had radio therapy to the abdomen also showed a greater risk of miscarriage.
No link was found between chemotherapy and pregnancy problems.
The
study - part of the ongoing British Childhood Cancer Survivor Study -
is the largest of its kind, and looked at data from 7,300 pregnancies
in 31% of the survivors. The study revealed a three-fold increased risk of delivering early and a two-fold increased risk of having a low birth-weight baby.
Researchers aren't sure why the risk is increased but the theory is that
the treatment leads to a smaller womb and reduced blood flow to the
womb.
The
study also showed a 40% increased risk of miscarriage in female
childhood cancer survivors, the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers
and Prevention showed.
But
there was no increased risk of miscarriage with brain radiotherapy,
which the researchers said had been suggested in the past.
Births
Overall female survivors of child cancer had a third fewer children than the general population.And those who underwent radiotherapy had half the number of children than the general population.
The study
did not look at why this may be, but the researchers said reasons could
include that women undergo early menopause because of their treatment,
find it harder to find a partner, and are concerned about the health
effects of their treatment on their children.
Study
leader Raoul Reulen said major improvements in treatment for childhood
cancer meant many were surviving into adulthood and so long-term
effects were becoming more important.
He also
pointed out that some patients become infertile because of their
treatment but many remain fertile and would like to have children.
"For
women in this situation wanting to become pregnant, it is important to
look at what kind of treatment they received in the past and to talk
about that with their doctor.
"If they had high-dose abdominal radiation and want to be pregnant they should be referred to a specialist.
"But for
other survivors, such as those who had chemotherapy, it's reassuring
because there is no evidence of adverse pregnancy outcome."
Kate Law, director of clinical research at Cancer Research UK, said it
was important to remember that the treatments looked at in the study
meant that seven in 10 childhood cancer patients survive and therapies
were improving all the time.
"If a
childhood cancer patient is concerned that they may be affected by this
and is planning to have a child she should contact her doctor who will
be able to give them the appropriate advice."
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