Consequences of acute myelogenous leukemia in early pregnancy

✍ Scribed by Dr. J. S. Lilleyman; A. S. Hill; K. J. Anderton

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1977
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 299 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0008-543X
• DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(197709)40:3<1300::aid-cncr2820400345>3.0.co;2-9

✦ Synopsis

Cytarabine and thioguanine therapy for acute myelomonocytic leukemia initiated in the tenth week of pregnancy (with the addition of vincristine and rubidomycin at 17 weeks) led to a short complete remission of the leukemia in a 24-year-old ptimigravida. This is the first case to be reported in which cytarabine was administered in the first trimester and a prostaglandin termination of pregnancy performed at 20 weeks produced an apparently normal fetus. A review of the literature suggests a slightly less than 50% chance of producing a live healthy baby if acute myelogenous leukemia is diagnosed in the first half of pregnancy, with maternal mortality approaching 100% by six months postpartum. Current therapy may improve these figures.