TY - JOUR
T1 - The use of chemotherapeutic agents during pregnancy
AU - Sorosky, J. I.
AU - Sood, A. K.
AU - Buekers, T. E.
PY - 1997
Y1 - 1997
N2 - The information available concerning the effects of chemotherapy administered during pregnancy is limited and consists of case reports and small series. A registry has been established at the National Cancer Institute, but there are currently only several hundred cases of neonates exposed to chemotherapy registered. All clinicians who care for women receiving chemotherapy during pregnancy should report those experiences to the National Cancer Institute to increase the data base. When chemotherapy is used during the embryogenesis period in the first trimester there is an increased rate of spontaneous abortion and major birth defects. The most toxic chemotherapeutic agents administered during pregnancy are methotrexate and aminopterin and should be avoided when possible, particularly during the first trimester. Pregnancy-related physiologic changes should be kept in mind when dosing and administering cytotoxic chemotherapy. The risk of fetal malformation when chemotherapy is administered during the second and third trimesters is probably not greater than background rate, but there may be a greater risk of stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, premature birth, and maternal and fetal myelosuppression. Breastfeeding should be avoided in women receiving chemotherapy.
AB - The information available concerning the effects of chemotherapy administered during pregnancy is limited and consists of case reports and small series. A registry has been established at the National Cancer Institute, but there are currently only several hundred cases of neonates exposed to chemotherapy registered. All clinicians who care for women receiving chemotherapy during pregnancy should report those experiences to the National Cancer Institute to increase the data base. When chemotherapy is used during the embryogenesis period in the first trimester there is an increased rate of spontaneous abortion and major birth defects. The most toxic chemotherapeutic agents administered during pregnancy are methotrexate and aminopterin and should be avoided when possible, particularly during the first trimester. Pregnancy-related physiologic changes should be kept in mind when dosing and administering cytotoxic chemotherapy. The risk of fetal malformation when chemotherapy is administered during the second and third trimesters is probably not greater than background rate, but there may be a greater risk of stillbirth, fetal growth restriction, premature birth, and maternal and fetal myelosuppression. Breastfeeding should be avoided in women receiving chemotherapy.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030817991&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030817991&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0889-8545(05)70324-7
DO - 10.1016/S0889-8545(05)70324-7
M3 - Article
C2 - 9266580
AN - SCOPUS:0030817991
SN - 0889-8545
VL - 24
SP - 591
EP - 599
JO - Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America
JF - Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America
IS - 3
ER -