Current management of gynecologic cancer in pregnancy

Locally advanced cervical cancer complicating early pregnancy: A case of multiple challenges in a limited-resource setting

Carcinoma of the cervix is the most common malignant tumor associated with pregnancy and still poses a complex management problem. Limited data are available on locally advanced cervical cancer outcomes in the first half of pregnancy and how disadvantaged young women in low- and middle-income countries are. A 34-year-old woman at 17 weeks of gestation was diagnosed with FIGO stage III-C1r cervical cancer. All available treatment options were associated with significant risks. The patient opted for pregnancy termination, followed by chemoradiation. We present the challenges that gynecologists face in low-resource settings in managing locally advanced cervical cancer.

Primary intestinal type mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary diagnosed during pregnancy – Maternal and neonatal treatment and outcomes: A case report

The incidence of ovarian cancer during pregnancy is low. Most adnexal tumors removed during pregnancy are benign, with ovarian carcinomas found in approximately 1: 10,000–1: 50,000 pregnancies. Literature on this disease is scarce and consists mostly of retrospective studies and case reports. We report the case of a pregnant patient who presented with a primary intestinal-type mucinous adenocarcinoma of the ovary and underwent unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with no additional surgical or chemotherapy treatment after the histological diagnosis, despite an infiltrative stromal invasion pattern. To the best of our knowledge, no such case has been previously reported. Conservative treatment in this case of early ovarian carcinoma is possible during pregnancy and should be performed in the Department of Gynecological Oncology and Obstetrics of a tertiary referral hospital. Given the possibility of disease recurrence, such patients require strict clinical oncological surveillance, specialized prenatal care, and assistance from a multidisciplinary team to improve the maternal and perinatal outcomes.

Advanced Ovarian Cancer during Pregnancy. Tumour Evolution Analysis and Treatment Approach

Background: The possible presence of malignant adnexal mass should be considered during pregnancy. For this reason, it is important to keep in mind such possibility while performing routine obstetric ultrasounds to diagnose asymptomatic ovarian cancer in the early stages. Case presentation: 27-year-old pregnant patient with a known adnexal tumour occurring at week 20 and enlarged supraclavicular lymph nodes of 3 cm size who was diagnosed with metastases from low-grade papillary serous ovarian carcinoma. The patient, obstetricians, neonatologists and oncologists agreed on initiating neoadjuvant chemotherapy and performing an elective C-section at week 34. She gave birth to a female infant weighing 2040 g who is currently in good health, and continues receiving follow-up care by a medical oncologist. Conclusions. An early diagnosis of gynaecologic malignancies during pregnancy is of critical importance because, although they are very rare, managing and treating carcinomas at an early stage allow us to increase maternal and fetal well-being and to offer more alternatives to our patients.

Nanosomal docetaxel lipid suspension based chemotherapy in a pregnant MBC patient - a case report

The current report presents a case of a pregnant woman with breast cancer metastasized to liver and lungs. The standard of care for breast cancer in pregnancy is anthracycline/taxane-based chemotherapy regimens. Docetaxel has shown a favorable toxicity profile during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. A novel nanosomal docetaxel lipid suspension (NDLS) (DoceAqualip), with a proven efficacy and tolerability profile, has been approved in India for the treatment of advanced solid tumors since 2013. We present here a case of a pregnant woman with metastatic breast cancer managed with NDLS based TAC regimen showing a partial response after six cycles. The patient delivered a healthy male child with normal Apgar score and weight at the 32nd week of gestation.

Management of gynecological cancer in pregnant patients

INTRODUCTION

Cancer during pregnancy is a rare but challenging condition. More women delay childbearing and consequently the incidence of cancer during pregnancy is constantly increasing.

EVIDENCE ACQUISITION

An extensive electronic search was performed in PubMed and Scopus. Only studies written after 1985 were considered eligible for this review. Abstracts, conference papers, book chapters, animal studies, commentaries as well as editorials articles were excluded from this review.

EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS

Cancer treatment during pregnancy is possible, but both maternal and fetal conditions need to be preserved. Randomized clinical trials are not feasible and current evidence are mainly based on case-series, small case reports and expert opinion. Cervical and ovarian cancers are the most common gynecological cancers diagnosed during pregnancy. Surgery and chemotherapy after the first trimester seem to be relatively safe for the newborn. Platinum-based chemotherapy administered during the 2nd-3rd trimester showed comparable adverse effects in newborns to those in the general population. Babies exposed to antenatal chemotherapy might be more likely to develop small for gestational age and NICU admission, than babies not exposed.

CONCLUSIONS

Management of pregnant women with cancer should be performed in specialized cancer centers and all cases should be discussed with a multidisciplinary approach. In the present review, we discuss the current recommendations for the management of pregnancies complicated by cancer and neonatal outcomes.