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Unintended pregnancy during radiotherapy for cancer

Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology volume 6, pages 175–178 (2009)Cite this article

Abstract

Background A 27-year-old woman with upper mediastinum stage IIA Hodgkin lymphoma was treated with six cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine chemotherapy. Two months later she received a total of 4,250 cGy to the upper mediastinum and left clavicular region over a 1-month period. One week after completion of radiotherapy she was found to be 13-weeks pregnant. Her physician advised her to terminate pregnancy. She contacted a teratology information service for further information regarding the risks of radiation exposure for her fetus.

Investigations Estimation of fetal radiation exposure, literature review and synthesis of published cases and effects of fetal radiation exposure.

Diagnosis Estimated fetal radiation dose between 5 and 18 cGy.

Management Counseling on the possible risks to the fetus as a result of radiation exposure.

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Acknowledgements

SN de Wildt's research is supported by a Ter Meulen Fund stipend from the Royal Netherlands Academy of Research, and a Restracomp grant from the Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada. N Taguchi's research is supported by the Aiiku Imperial Fund in Japan, and a Restracomp grant from the Hospital for Sick Children. G Koren is supported by the Research Leadership for Better Pharmacotherapy during Pregnancy and Lactation at the University of Toronto, and is a holder of the Ivey Chair in Molecular Toxicology, at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Charles P Vega, University of California, Irvine, CA, is the author of and is solely responsible for the content of the learning objectives, questions and answers of the Medscape-accredited continuing medical education activity associated with this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. SN de Wildt is a Pediatrician-Clinical Pharmacologist at the Intensive Care, Erasmus MC Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands;,

    Saskia N de Wildt

  2. and G Koren is a Staff Pediatrician and Founding Director of the Motherisk Program at the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the Hospital for Sick Children, N Taguchi is an Anesthesiologist-Clinical Pharmacologist, Toronto, ON, Canada.,

    Nobuko Taguchi & Gideon Koren

Authors
  1. Saskia N de Wildt
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  2. Nobuko Taguchi
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  3. Gideon Koren
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Correspondence to Saskia N de Wildt.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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de Wildt, S., Taguchi, N. & Koren, G. Unintended pregnancy during radiotherapy for cancer. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 6, 175–178 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncponc1320

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