Maternal death by cancer in pregnancy: A descriptive study of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy

Abstract

AbstractObjectiveTo characterise pregnant women diagnosed with primary or recurrent cancer who died during pregnancy, during delivery or within 1 year postpartum.DesignA descriptive study.SettingThe registry of the International Network on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy (INCIP).PopulationWomen diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy between 2000 and 2022.MethodsUsing the INCIP registry database, we compared the characteristics of all women with cancer who died during pregnancy, delivery or within 1 year postpartum with those of all women with cancer who survived the first year postpartum.Main Outcome MeasuresMaternal and tumour characteristics and obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.ResultsOf the 2359 women registered in INCIP, there were 131 cases (5.6%) of maternal mortality. Lung cancer (9/14, 64.3% of all registered women with lung cancer), gastro‐oesophageal cancer (13/21, 61.9%) and acute leukaemia (17/105, 16.2%) had the highest rates of maternal mortality. Maternal mortality was associated with fewer live births compared with the control group without maternal mortality (99/131, 75.6%, vs 1952/2163, 90.0%; P < 0.001), more elective caesarean sections (64/104, 60.4%, vs 756/1836, 41.2%; P < 0.001) and a lower gestational age at (induced) delivery (34.0 vs 37.1 weeks; P < 0.001), resulting in more preterm births.ConclusionsMaternal mortality occurred in 5.6% of cancer‐in‐pregnancy cases and is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes.