The authors of a related comment note that the conclusions should be interpreted with caution for a number of reasons. For example the contributing centres do not represent the full spectrum of pregnant women diagnosed with cancer. In addition the increase in treatment could be related to an increase in cancer incidence or an increasing age at the time of pregnancy, for example.
The results also suggest that exposure to antenatal platinum-based chemotherapy was associated with an increased risk of small for gestational age (OR 3.12, 95% CI 1.45–6.70), and exposure to taxane chemotherapy an increased risk for NICU admission (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.31–4.28). The study did not consider the dose of chemotherapy, nor the fact that late side-effects (such as impaired neurocognitive function in children) need longer follow-up to detect. The authors say that “due to its heterogeneity, the INCIP database analysis reported…has minor value for women's oncological management. Carefully planned studies combining women's cancer-specific management in pregnancy, oncological outcomes, and long-term effects on children's development are urgently needed to improve our limited knowledge.”