A new study has shown that having a baby after cancer could be a difficult decision for young survivors.
HealthDay reported that researchers from the University of North Carolina found that over 15,000 births by teen and young adult women who survived cancer, aged 15 to 39, had a higher risk for low birth weights, caesarean delivery, and preterm birth.
The study, published in the journal JAMA Oncology on March 23, drew conclusions by comparing about 13,000 births by teen and young adult women without any history of cancer and 2,600 births by women of the same age who are cancer survivors.
From the sample, 13 percent of cancer survivors had pre-term birth or delivery before 37 weeks while only nine percent was reported from those who have no cancer history.
The risk of preterm birth was also associated with several types of cancer. Gynecological cancer survivors have three times more chances of having preterm birth compared to non-cancer patients. Breast cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivors, meanwhile, have two times higher risks. Those who have had Hodgkin lymphoma has 60 percent chance.
"We found that women were more likely to deliver preterm if they've been treated for cancer overall, with greater risks for women who had chemotherapy," said lead author Hazel Nichols, an assistant professor in the School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina.
Pregnancy does not increase the risk of cancer coming back to survivors. However, some women are advised to wait for some years before trying to conceive. This is because the cancer is more likely to come back on its own in the earlier years and treating it would be far more complicated for pregnant patients.
The length of waiting depends on certain factors such as cancer type and stage, type of treatment and age.
Some women who have undergone chemotherapy are also recommended to get pregnant only after six months of the last session. Other cancer survivors are advised to wait for two to five years before trying to have a baby.