Maternal and neonatal outcomes of dose-dense chemotherapy for breast cancer in pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the effect of dose-dense chemotherapy during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal outcomes.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study in which women were identified from the international Cancer and Pregnancy Registry at Cooper Medical School at Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. A chart analysis was completed and Fisher's exact test and independent t test were used in comparing patient outcomes.

RESULTS

Ten women received dose-dense chemotherapy, received every 2 weeks, and 99 women received conventional chemotherapy, received with at least 3-week intervals, for breast cancer during pregnancy. Birth weight, gestational age at delivery, rate of growth restriction, congenital anomalies, and incidence of maternal and neonatal neutropenia were not statistically different between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In the small cohort of women in our registry, dose-dense chemotherapy does not appear to increase the risk of fetal or maternal complications.