Newly diagnosed primary intracranial neoplasms in pregnant women: a population-based assessment

The presence of a pregnancy at the time of the initial diagnosis of an intracranial neoplasm was studied using material from a population-based tumour registry. Seventeen malignant neoplasms of the brain (ICD 191), three meningiomas, three acoustic neurinomas and a pituitary adenoma associated with pregnancy were reported to the National Cancer Registry of the GDR from 1961-1979. Observed cases were compared with those expected based on the number of births and the incidence rates for intracranial tumours among women of childbearing age during the same time period. Observed to expected ratios were substantially reduced for malignancy of the brain and meningioma but not for acoustic neurinoma. Review of this uniformly collected material did not provide support for the view that intracranial neoplasms present more often during pregnancy.