Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T16:58:53.077Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 13 - Pregnancy and radiation

from Section 2 - Fetal effects of cancer treatments and interventions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 December 2011

By
Eyal Fenig
Edited by
Gideon Koren  and
Michael Lishner
Gideon Koren
Affiliation:
University of Toronto
Michael Lishner
Affiliation:
Tel-Aviv University
Get access

Summary

This chapter discusses the risk of embryo-fetal irradiation during pregnancy. In pregnant patients undergoing radionuclide examinations, radiation may reach the embryo-fetus by means of the penetrating gamma rays and X-rays emitted by radionuclides concentrated in maternal organs or the placenta, or by radionuclides taken up by the fetus after they cross the placenta. Physicians faced with a pregnant woman who requires radiation therapy for cancer may be inclined to advocate abortion for fear of possible injury to the fetus. The chapter also discusses specific cancers complicating pregnancy that may require radiation therapy. These cancers are usually divided into extrapelvic and pelvic. The chapter describes the most common types: breast cancer, Hodgkin's disease (extrapelvic), and cervical cancer (pelvic). Radiation exposure has been shown to increase the risk of cancers in both adult and children.

Keywords

ABVDchemotherapyHodgkin's lymphomapregnancyMRIpositron emission tomography
Type
Chapter
Information
Cancer in Pregnancy and Lactation
The Motherisk Guide
 , pp. 69 - 78
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×