Impact of cancer in the management of delivery: 10 years of variations

Abstract

Importance: The active-during-pregnancy-cancer (ADPC) is a condition that complicates the 0.1% of pregnancies. Abortion, preterm delivery and cesarean section (CS) are common attitudes for these patients, because of scarcity of evidence-based studies. Not-active-during-pregnancy-cancer (NADPC) is an increasing medical problem. The fertility of young girls survived to neoplasia is significantly lower compared to general population and there are increased rates of low birth weight and preterm birth.

Objective: To analyze the impact that the pregnancy-related neoplastic disease has on management of deliveries in the decade 2006–2015.

Material and methods: In this observational study, we collected obstetric and oncological data about 205 patients bearing a history of cancer related to pregnancy between January 2006 and September 2016 from Sant’Anna Hospital database archive in Turin. The entire population was divided in 59 patients with ADPC and 146 patients with NADPC because it was cured before starting the gestation. Three ADPC and three NADPC patients who completed their pregnancy in the year 2016 were excluded from the 10 years 2006–2015 trends realization. All in situ and invasive cancers were considered.

Results: In ADPC patients, we registered 3.4% miscarriage and 15.3% iatrogenic abortion. The type of delivery was vaginal (22%) and CS (59.3%). Induction of labor was 14.6%, elective CS was 68.8%: the indication for these procedures was 78.6% oncological. The average gestational age was 35.5 weeks. In NADPC patients, we registered 9.6% miscarriage and 8.2% iatrogenic abortion. The type of delivery was vaginal (43.2%) and CS (39%). Induction of labor was 11.7%, elective CS was 36.7%: the indication for these procedures was 77.5% obstetrical. The average gestational age was 38.3 weeks.

Conclusions: Ten-year trends in ADPC and NADPC patients showed an increase of induced deliveries and a decrease in elective CS. We observed not significant reduction of gestational age and birth weight. A contemporary decrease of oncological indications for CS in the two populations was reported.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• delivery
• management
• pregnancy
• trend