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Cancer in pregnancy: overview and epidemiology

  • Special Section: Cancer in Pregnancy
  • Published:
Abdominal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cancer in pregnancy, one of the most distressing and demanding conditions in all of women’s health care, occurs about 1:1000 pregnancies with an increasing incidence due to delayed childbearing. Diagnosis of pregnancy associated cancer is especially challenging because tumor symptoms may be masked by normal physiologic changes of pregnancy. The burden of care for both mother and child goes well beyond factual medical information. Balancing the potential risks and benefits to the mother and fetus necessitates a superior level of knowledge and expertise that includes epidemiology, pathophysiology, ionizing radiation and teratogenesis, risks and benefits of various imaging modalities, oncology, and radiotherapy, and other areas. Radiologists are an integral part of a multidisciplinary team that shares responsibility for selection of safe and effective diagnosis and management. Throughout the course of treatment, counseling and support are of paramount importance to the patient and her family. A compassionate culture of care bolsters the effectiveness of the care team to inform, counsel, and engage with the patient to achieve optimal outcomes. This special section of Abdominal Radiology is meant to offer insights for diagnostic imaging and its role in personalized management of this most serious and challenging condition. This article will provide an overview of imaging cancer in pregnancy and detail the relevant epidemiology.

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Funding

The author wishes to disclose that she is Associate Editor for Obstetrics and Gynecology for the journal, RadioGraphics. This special issue was written in cooperation with the Society of Abdominal Radiology Uterine and Ovarian Cancer. Disease Focused Panel. The author has no relevant financial or other non-financial interests to disclose.

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  1. The George Washington University Medical Center, Washington, DC, 20037, USA

    Marcia C. Javitt

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  1. Marcia C. Javitt
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Correspondence to Marcia C. Javitt.

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Javitt, M.C. Cancer in pregnancy: overview and epidemiology. Abdom Radiol 48, 1559–1563 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-022-03633-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-022-03633-y

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