Treatment of neoplastic disease during pregnancy: maternal and fetal effects.

A review of the factors involved in treating the cancer patient during pregnancy is presented with respect to the fetus and the mother. The fetus may be adversely affected by diagnostic procedures, radiation therapy, cytotoxic chemotherapy or by the mother's metastatic disease or diminished health. Prenatal consideration must be given to the mother's additional nutritional requirements, susceptibility to infection, the effect of cancer therapies on blood counts and likelihood of hemorrhage. Postpartum and postnatal treatment should include cancer assessment, contraceptive and genetic counselling and long term follow-up of progeny.