[Chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease during pregnancy--a case report]

Based on a case report of a 19-year-old woman with Hodgkin's disease in pregnancy and on several casuistic communications and comparative studies from the literature the problems of cytostatic therapy in pregnancy are discussed. The following conclusions may be drawn: Cytostatic therapy in varying combination seems not to be associated with a damage to the fetus, even when applied in the first trimester of pregnancy. Fetal disturbances occurred almost exclusively under a combination chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In the case observed by us a combination chemotherapy with adriblastin, vincristine and prednisone was successfully applied from the 28th week of pregnancy on. The child showed no disturbances apart from a slight degree of intrauterine growth retardation which must also be seen in connection with a severe anemia of the mother or her nicotine abuse.