Rise in cancer associated with pregnancy

More women are being diagnosed with pregnancy associated cancer, and the increase is only partially explained by the rise in the number of older mothers, suggests new research published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The large Australian study looked at more than 780,000 women who gave birth in New South Wales between 1994 and 2008. In total there were more than 1,300,000 pregnancies in these women.

There were 1,798 pregnancy-associated cancers (diagnosed during pregnancy or within 12 months of delivery) in these women - a rate of 137.3 per 100,000 pregnancies. But between 1994 and 2008, the researchers found that the incidence increased from 112.3 to 191.5 per 100,000 pregnancies.

Over this period the percentage of women giving birth who were aged 35 years and over rose from 13.2% to 23.6% in the region of Australia where the study took place ? New South Wales.?????????????????????????????

However, the research concluded that only 14% of the increase in incidence of pregnancy-associated cancer was explained by increasing maternal age.

The researchers believe that improved diagnostic techniques, detection and increased interaction with health services during pregnancy may contribute to higher incidence rates of pregnancy-associated cancer.

They added that the genetic and environmental origins of pregnancy-associated cancers are likely to pre-date the pregnancy, however the hormones and growth factors necessary for foetal growth may accelerate tumour growth.

The most common pregnancy-associated cancers were melanoma of skin, breast cancer, thyroid and other endocrine cancers, gynaecological and lymphohaematopoeitic cancers. However the authors pointed out that Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world.

Professor Christine Roberts, Clinical and Population Perinatal Health Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, New South Wales, said: ?The trend for women to postpone childbearing has raised concerns about the incidence of cancer in pregnancy increasing.

?Although maternal age was a strong risk factor for cancer, increasing maternal age explained only some of the increase in cancer incidence. Pregnancy increases women?s interaction with health services and the possibility for diagnosis is therefore increased. Furthermore, pregnancy may actually influence tumour growth.?

Source: http://www.onmedica.com/newsArticle.aspx?id=05c8880a-e198-401c-8e20-e6a182765022

steve jobs fbi file suge knight obama birth control mortgage settlement macauly culkin joe namath stefon diggs