Perinatal outcomes for infants exposed to systemic cancer treatment during gestation: a systematic review and meta-analysis
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View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.Cancer treatment during pregnancy may increase preterm birth risk in newborns. More research is needed to confirm this link and understand other perinatal outcomes for exposed infants.
Area Of Science
- Perinatal medicine
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Oncology
Background
- Increasing incidence of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy.
- Limited data on perinatal outcomes for infants exposed to in utero systemic cancer treatment.
- Need to understand the impact of maternal cancer therapy on infant development.
Purpose Of The Study
- To synthesize evidence on perinatal outcomes for infants exposed to systemic cancer treatment in utero.
- To compare outcomes between infants exposed and unexposed to maternal gestational cancer therapy.
- To identify potential risks associated with in utero exposure to cancer treatments.
Main Methods
- Systematic review and meta-analysis following PRISMA-P guidelines.
- Searched Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL databases (2001-2025).
- Included cohort studies comparing outcomes for infants exposed versus unexposed to systemic therapy during pregnancy.
Main Results
- Five cohort studies (416 women, 427 neonates) met inclusion criteria.
- Consistently higher rates of preterm birth observed in exposed neonates (ORs 1.85-24.00).
- No significant differences found in spontaneous abortion, congenital anomalies, stillbirth, IUGR, or SGA births.
Conclusions
- Limited, low-quality studies available comparing exposed and unexposed infants.
- Evidence suggests a possible association between systemic therapy and increased preterm birth risk.
- Findings require cautious interpretation due to small sample sizes and heterogeneity; further research is essential.
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