Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Oct;41(10):3719-3732.
doi: 10.1002/hed.25877. Epub 2019 Jul 22.

Head and neck cancer during pregnancy

Affiliations

Head and neck cancer during pregnancy

Jennifer Le Guevelou et al. Head Neck. 2019 Oct.

Abstract

Background: The incidence of cancer during pregnancy is low but is slightly increasing. Data on incidence and etiology of head and neck (HN) cancers in pregnant women are rare. We evaluated the frequency, tumor type, associated factors, and specific biomarkers in HN cancers occurring in pregnant (and peripartum) women.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed on PubMed, for any HN tumor site occurring in pregnant women.

Results: Sixty cases of HN cancers occurring during pregnancy were identified. Most of them were oral cavity cancers. Relationships with oncogenic viruses, hormonal disturbance, and shift in maternal immunity profile were identified.

Conclusion: Carcinogenesis of HN cancers in pregnant women may be led by different cancer type-specific hallmarks. Relevance of these etiological factors with respect to treatments and birth control recommendations is being investigated by the REFCOR in an ambispective study.

Keywords: birth control; carcinogenesis; head and neck cancer; hormone; immunology; molecular biology; pregnancy; treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. Pentheroudakis G, Pavlidis N. Cancer and pregnancy: poena magna, not anymore. Eur J Cancer. 2006;42(2):126-140.
    1. Antonelli NM, Dotters DJ, Katz VL, Kuller JA. Cancer in pregnancy: a review of the literature. Part I. Obstet Gynecol Surv. 1996;51:125-134.
    1. Layton SA. Oral carcinoma in pregnancy. Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 1992;30:161-164.
    1. Cheung EJ. Advanced oral tongue cancer in a 22-year-old pregnant woman. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2009;118:21-26.
    1. Chow VL. Management of head and neck tumours during pregnancy: case report and literature review. Asian J Surg. 2008;31:199-203.

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources