Chapter 16 - Management of complications associated with cancer or antineoplastic treatment during pregnancy

Summary

Skeletal manifestations of cancer, such as osteoporosis, bone pain, pathological fractures, and hypercalcemia, may also require specific treatment during pregnancy. Thus, these complications of cancer or its antineoplastic treatment may expose the pregnant woman to additional medications including anticoagulants, antibiotics, analgesics, and new treatment modalities such as hematopoietic growth factors and bisphosphonates. The main advantages of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) over unfractionated heparin (UFH) are their predictable anticoagulant activity, avoidance of no laboratory monitoring, higher bioavailability, long half-life, once daily dosing, decreased bleeding incidence, decreased risk for osteoporosis, and less risk to induced thrombocytopenia associated with paradoxical thrombosis. Therapy with recombinant human erythropoietin was first shown to correct the anemia caused by end-stage renal failure in dialysis patients. Respiratory depression and decreased oxygen consumption in the newborn were all observed in children born to mothers who received morphine during labor or used the drug chronically.