Subsequent risk of cancer among women with a history of placental abruption

Abstract

Background: Placentation is characterized by extensive cell proliferation and neovascularization, which is similar to the processes observed in the development of cancer. Nonetheless, little is known about the relation between abnormal placentation, such as placental abruption, and cancer.

Material and methods: Data on women with placental abruption in a singleton pregnancy between 1971 and 2005 (n = 7804) were collected from the Finnish Hospital Discharge Registry and the Finnish Medical Birth Registry. The cohort was then linked with the Finnish Cancer Registry records until the end of 2013. Standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) were calculated for different cancers by dividing the observed numbers of cancers by those expected. The expected numbers were based on national cancer incidence rates.

Results: During follow-up, 597 cancers were found among women with a history of placental abruption. The overall risk of cancer was not increased (SIR 0.95, 95% CI 0.88–1.02). However, the history of placental abruption was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (SIR 1.51, 95% CI 1.05–2.10) and thyroid cancer (SIR 1.47, 95% CI 1.04–2.02). A decreased risk was found for breast cancer (SIR 0.85, 95% CI 0.75–0.96). The risk of rectal cancer was also decreased, although these numbers were small (SIR 0.49, 95% CI 0.20–1.01).

Conclusions: Overall, the risk of lung cancer was increased, and the risk of breast cancer decreased, in women with a history of placental abruption. These observations can be explained to some extent by risk factors or risk markers for placental abruption. The increased risk of thyroid cancer may be explained by surveillance bias.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was financially supported by the Helsinki University Hospital Research Grants (TYH2014237).