Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Choose an application

• Reference Manager
• EndNote
• RefWorks (Direct export to RefWorks)

Background and objective: The incidence of women diagnosed with a malignancy during their pregnancy is increasing due to (1) the tendency to delay childbearing until older ages and (2) the increased risk of developing cancer with increasing age. Possible treatment options including chemotherapy exist but the exact consequences of this therapy on the embryo/foetus remain unsure. The primary objective of this study is to determine the neurocognitive influences of prenatal chemotherapy exposure on the child and the best possible timing of administration. Method: Data for this review were obtained by gathering several articles from the database Pubmed. The inclusion criteria were that (1) the articles had to be written in English, (2) they had been published after 2000 and (3) the subjects of the research had to be children of women who had received some kind of chemotherapy during their pregnancy for some form of cancer. Results: The limited results available show that the children do not suffer major neurocognitive damage after prenatal chemotherapy exposure. Furthermore, the evidence shows that treatment is safest after the first trimester, given that the risk of malformations is only increased in case of first trimester chemotherapy-exposure. Ideally, if possible, prematurity should also be avoided given its proven neurocognitive consequences. Conclusion: Currently, one can conclude that the benefits for the mother outweigh the possible risk for the child if chemotherapy is administered after the first trimester. However, further research and long-term follow-up, is needed to evaluate the long-term effects.