Cancer Survivors Are More Likely To Have Pregnancy Complications, Study Says

A new study suggests that cancer survivors aging between 15 and 39 are likely to have more chances of experiencing pregnancy complications, even years later. The researchers found that girls who survived cancer up to age 14 are prone to having preterm births and underweight birth babies.

The study was published Thursday, Mar. 23 in JAMA Oncology. This is the first broad review of the association between women who were treated for cancer and pregnancy problem. Cancer survivors didn't realize that past treatment procedures such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy could affect their future pregnancies, she added.

"It's generally a surprise to them," Ragsdale said. "I think the biggest thing for us is making the patients aware that they can have the reproductive future that they want."

Researchers from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill studied data from 2,598 women in the North Carolina Central Cancer Registry. The participants were cancer survivors during their adolescents or young adults who gave birth. The data also includes women who suffered from cancer while pregnant.

The researchers discovered that these populations are more likely to have premature deliveries and low birth-weight babies as compared to their healthy counterparts. It was also found that cancer survivors had 13 percent more chances of giving birth earlier than expected, Medical News Today reported. On the other hand, women who don’t have cancer may give birth before the 37-week mark but have as low as nine percent risk.

The difference is comparatively small, but preterm babies are more likely to have health problems, and it must be the center of concern. Aside from having low birth-weight babies, cancer survivor women have an increased risk of cesarean section delivery.

However, Hazel B. Nichols, Ph.D. noted that not all babies who were born earlier than their due dates will suffer from complications. She is the study’s lead author and an assistant professor in the University Of North Carolina Gillings School Of Public Health in Chapel Hill.