Health · Healthcare & Policy · 1 hr ago
Cancer treatment during pregnancy may be possible without ending the pregnancy
A maternal-fetal medicine physician says pregnant cancer patients are often urged to end their pregnancies without a full discussion of treatment options.
She describes one patient with ovarian cancer who received scans and chemotherapy while pregnant and survived, while another patient’s treatment was delayed until late pregnancy and she died.
The physician says some cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, can be given during pregnancy, and babies may be delivered at term.
Cancer can be diagnosed later during pregnancy because symptoms overlap and doctors may hesitate to use imaging or arrange biopsies.
She says ending a pregnancy has not been shown to improve a woman’s cancer survival compared with continuing it.
The Cancer and Pregnancy Registry has collected 650 cases to help track outcomes for mothers and babies, and the physician urges doctors to consider how they would treat the cancer if the patient were not pregnant.
Pregnant patients with cancer may be able to receive treatment without ending their pregnancies, according to a maternal-fetal medicine physician writing in STAT.
Dr. Cardonick says chemotherapy can often be given safely during pregnancy, with infants delivered at term.
She argues that patients are often advised to terminate a pregnancy or deliver early without being offered cancer treatment during pregnancy.
She says pregnant women with cancer have survival rates similar to those of non-pregnant women with the same cancer.
Cardonick founded the Cancer and Pregnancy Registry, which she says has collected 650 cases.
- Who
- Pregnant patients diagnosed with cancer, and the doctors advising them.
- What
- An opinion article argues that cancer treatment during pregnancy may be possible without ending the pregnancy.
- When
- The article was published Nov. 2, 2026.
- Where
- Not stated
- Why
- The author says patients are often advised to terminate or deliver early, while treatment during pregnancy may be an option.
Cancer treatment during pregnancy
Pregnancy termination or early delivery
Treatment
Cancer treatment during pregnancy
Cardonick argues that cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, can often be given during pregnancy.
Pregnancy termination or early delivery
One physician told Cardonick that a pregnant patient with Hodgkin lymphoma should terminate her pregnancy.
Pregnancy outcome
Cancer treatment during pregnancy
Cardonick says patients may continue their pregnancies and deliver at term.
Pregnancy termination or early delivery
Some patients are advised to end the pregnancy or have an elective preterm birth.
Cardonick met two pregnant women with ovarian cancer, one of whom was expecting twins.
The woman who survived underwent a CT scan, workup of an ovarian cyst and chemotherapy.
The twins of the woman who survived reached age 28.
STAT published Cardonick’s opinion article.
- Publication date
- Nov. 2, 2026
- Registry cases
- 650
- Cancer in pregnancy
- Cardonick says pregnant women with cancer have survival rates similar to non-pregnant women with the same cancer.
- Twins’ age
- 28 years
- Treatment example
- A pregnant woman with ovarian cancer received chemotherapy during pregnancy
What people are saying
Your doctor went to the library and researched managing ovarian cancer during pregnancy, and her doctor didn’t.
No study has shown an improvement in a woman’s survival if she terminates her pregnancy compared to if she continues.
She already had two kids. She should terminate.