Pregnancy outcomes following treatment of cancer

While still rare, cancer has the reputation of being life-threatening in all its forms. Coupled with the survival of cancer comes a growing expectation from the patients that their life should be relatively unaffected. Among the side effects, there is frequently an effect on fertility. In particular, the treatment of the young with anti-cancer therapy raises questions about the patient's ability to achieve normal reproductive function and delivery following treatment. Between 1987 and 1998 we identified 40 women who conceived or delivered a fetus following treatment for cancer. They had undergone a combination of therapies including surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Four had elected to be sterilised after completion of their family. It did not appear from the data collected that the therapy used for treatment of some cancers has had an adverse effect on delivery outcomes, expected weight of the fetus or the gestation of the pregnancy.