BACKGROUND

The number of childhood cancer survivors has dramatically increased and consequently, an increasing number of survivors may now wish to conceive. Recently, several studies have described that previous treatment with abdominal radiotherapy may increase the risk of adverse pregnancy outcome.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective single centre cohort study of childhood cancer survivors with a singleton live birth between January 2000 and December 2005. Pregnancy outcome was compared with data from the Netherlands Perinatal Registry, a nationwide database of pregnancy outcome parameters of all births in the Netherlands registered by midwives, obstetricians and paediatricians.

RESULTS

Data were available on 40 survivors and 9031 controls. Median age at diagnosis was 6.9 years (range 0.1–16.8 years). The median interval between diagnosis and date of delivery was 21.6 years (range 7.4–36.1 years). In the whole cohort, pregnancy outcome was not different between survivors and controls. However, survivors treated with abdominal radiotherapy delivered preterm and had post-partum haemorrhage (mean gestational age in survivors = 34.9 versus 39.2 weeks in controls, P = 0.001; 33% in survivors versus 5% in controls, P = 0.007, respectively). The offspring of survivors had normal birthweight after adjustment for gestational age (mean birthweight in offspring of survivors 2503 versus 1985 g; P = 0.22).

CONCLUSION

Childhood cancer survivors irradiated to the abdomen have an earlier delivery and higher incidence of post-partum haemorrhage. This stresses the need for close monitoring of the delivery, including inpatient perinatal care, in this group of childhood cancer survivors.