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Hodgkin Lymphoma During Pregnancy Cure - Hodgkin Lymphoma During
Pregnancy Medicine Drug
Hodgkin's lymphoma most commonly affects young adults and, therefore, young women may be diagnosed with the disease when they are pregnant. Treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma during pregnancy is chosen carefully so that the fetus is put in as little danger as possible. When treatment is being planned, the wishes of the patient, the seriousness and aggressiveness of the disease, and the number of months remaining in the pregnancy are also considered. The treatment plan may change as the symptoms, cancer, and pregnancy change.
Women who are in the first trimester of pregnancy are usually advised to end the pregnancy. Women who choose to continue pregnancy may delay treatment until the baby is delivered if the disease is slow growing and located above the diaphragm (above the stomach). If immediate treatment is needed for Hodgkin's lymphoma, women may choose to receive radiation therapy or chemotherapy. Both radiation therapy and chemotherapy can cause harm to the fetus. In most cases, the fetus can be protected from exposure to radiation therapy with proper shielding. The fetus can not be protected against exposure to chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells), and some chemotherapy regimens may cause birth defects.
Most patients in the second half of pregnancy can delay treatment until the baby is induced at 32 to 36 weeks. Treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma can begin shortly after the baby is born. Patients with advanced Hodgkin's lymphoma may require treatment before the baby is delivered. These patients may receive steroids (designed to fight tumor growth and help lung development in the fetus), radiation therapy, and/or chemotherapy. Because some chemotherapy regimens may cause birth defects, single-drug chemotherapy regimens are usually given. More extensive chemotherapy is usually given once the baby has been delivered. If the patient's breathing is being affected by a large tumor in the chest, a short course of radiation therapy can be given before delivery.
Women who have been treated for Hodgkin's lymphoma during pregnancy appear to have survival rates similar to women who were treated while not pregnant. The long-term effects of anticancer treatment on the children of these women is not yet known; however, the risk does not appear to be significant.
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