Acute leukemia during reproductive life: its course, complications, and sequelae for fertility

Journal Article · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976 · J. Reprod. Med.; (United States)

OSTI ID:7086842

Bitran, J D; Roth, D G

Acute leukemia is less common during the reproductive years than in children or in postmenopausal women. Effective chemotherapy exists for adult lymphocytic leukemia, and the median survival is 18 to 20 months. Acute myelogenous leukemia still has a less favorable prognosis, with a medial survival of 12 months despite effective chemotherapeutic agents. The occurrence of acute leukemia in pregnancy does not change the overall prognosis, which depends primarily on the cytopathologic types. If leukemia occurs during the first trimester, therapeutic abortion is advised since the rate of spontaneous abortion after chemotherapy is high in the first trimester and fetal malformations are common. Acute leukemia can be treated in the second and third trimesters with little effect on the pregnancy or fetus. In patients cured of acute leukemia, the potential for subsequent pregnancies exists with little likelihood of increases in fetal malformations.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Chicago Cancer Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7086842
• Journal Information: J. Reprod. Med.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Reprod. Med.; (United States) Vol. 17:4; ISSN JRPMA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550500* -- Metabolism
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMOTHERAPY
DISEASES
FERTILITY
HEMIC DISEASES
LEUKEMIA
NEOPLASMS
PATIENTS
PREGNANCY
REPRODUCTION
SURVIVAL TIME
THERAPY