The children of adolescent and young adult female patients with a history of cancer may face a higher risk of birth defects, according to a recent study published by Murphy et al in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Background
“Concerns like the health of future children are at the top of mind for many young adult [patients] diagnosed with cancer, but they are already so overwhelmed at the time of diagnosis with navigating cancer-related information,” stressed lead study author Caitlin C. Murphy, PhD, MPH, Associate Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at the UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. “Our findings can be used in clinical practice to provide counseling and inform this population of the potential risks and reproductive consequences of cancer at the time of diagnosis and beyond,” she added.
Study Methods and Results
In the new study, investigators examined the birth defects of 6,882 children aged 12 months or younger of female patients who were aged 15 to 39 years at the time of their cancer diagnoses, between 1999 and 2015. The investigators noted that the most common cancer types were thyroid cancer (28.9%), lymphoma (12.5%), and breast cancer (10.7%)—and 24% of the female patients received chemotherapy.
The investigators discovered that overall, the risk of birth defects was higher among the children of female patients with a history of cancer (6.0%) compared with the children of female patients without a history of cancer (4.8%). The children of those who had a history of cancer also were 1.39 times more likely to have eye or ear defects, 1.32 times more likely to have heart and circulatory defects, 1.38 times more likely to have genitourinary defects, and 1.37 times more likely to have musculoskeletal defects.
Conclusions
Although the birth defects were rare, the investigators emphasized that young female patients making decisions about pregnancy and prenatal care should receive appropriate counseling and surveillance. Screening children for birth defects could also provide an opportunity for targeted prevention.
“Many studies now demonstrate relationships between cancer and birth defects; children with birth defects also have a higher risk of cancer,” Dr. Murphy underscored. “The more we learn about how they are related to each other, the more we can identify opportunities to prevent both,” she concluded.
Disclosure: For full disclosures of the study authors, visit aacrjournals.org.
