Medical Information on Chemotherapy & Pregnancy

If a pregnant woman discovers she has cancer while she's pregnant, she worries about her health and the health and well-being of her unborn baby. She has questions about whether she's going to live or die; what treatment(s) she can undergo and how they may affect the baby. She'll be seeing two specialists: her oncologist and obstetrician, and both of these doctors will have to work closely with each other.

Significance

• Facing the prospect of cancer and chemotherapy while pregnant can be one of the scariest, most worrisome events in a woman's life. Depending on the type of cancer and how early it is in the woman's pregnancy, chemotherapy can cause birth defects on the developing fetus.

Considerations

• If your oncologist and obstetrician decide that chemotherapy is medically necessary, the effects on the developing baby will be taken into account. Both doctors will work to find the most effective chemotherapeutic agent for your cancer which will have the least harmful effect on your baby (see Resources below).

Positive Feelings

• While you are sick with cancer and possibly receiving chemotherapy, being pregnant can have a positive effect on your emotions and point of view. Anticipating the birth of a new child can help you focus on a positive topic during a highly stressful time in your life (see Resources below).

Misconceptions

• While chemotherapy is intended to kill cancer cells, its potential effects on unborn children are unclear, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy (see Resources below).

Warning

• It is not safe to use a radioactive iodine treatment for women suffering from thyroid cancer. The treatment can cause abnormalities in the unborn baby's thyroid gland (see Resources below).