Diagnostic and treatment delay in women with cancer in pregnancy: a case-based study

IF 2.6 3区医学 Q2 OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2026-09-18 DOI:10.1007/s00404-026-08500-5

Lillian Sun Liang, Iben Katinka Greiber, Mona Aarenstrup Karlsen, Berit Woetmann Pedersen, Birgitte Bruun Nielsen, Malene Kronborg Have, Rikke Bek Helmig, Maria Cathrine Schmidt, Jeanett Strandbygaard, Lone Storgaard

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose

More advanced stages at diagnosis and lower survival rates are seen in women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy compared to non-pregnant women with similar cancers. This study aims to investigate diagnostic and treatment delays, cancer stage, and survival in Danish pregnant cancer patients.

Methods

Patients from the Danish cancer in pregnancy database were included. Cancer diagnosis, treatment, and obstetrical data were collected from the database. Time to treatment was compared to national cancer patient pathways. Cancer stages at diagnosis were compared to epidemiological studies identified through a systematic literature search. Survival was compared to data from NORDCAN, a Nordic cancer statistics database.

Results

The study included 74 patients diagnosed with cancer in pregnancy. The median total delay was 43.5 days (IQR 27.75–94.75) with a patient delay of three days (IQR 0–31), a diagnostic delay of 15 days (IQR 8–35), and a treatment delay of 9.5 days (IQR 0–19). Time from cancer suspicion to start of treatment fell within recommended national cancer patient pathway intervals in 80.0% of cases. Breast cancer and melanoma in pregnancy tended to have more advanced stages at diagnosis compared to non-pregnant patients. The 1- and 5-year mortality rates were 5.4% and 17.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that pregnant cancer patients presented with advanced stages at diagnosis and lower survival rates compared to non-pregnant patients with similar cancers. Our results indicate that the main contributor to the delay in cancer in pregnancy in Denmark is delayed suspicion of cancer.

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妊娠期癌症患者的诊断和治疗延迟：一项基于病例的研究。

目的：与患有类似癌症的非怀孕妇女相比，怀孕期间被诊断为癌症的妇女在诊断时处于更晚期，生存率更低。本研究旨在探讨丹麦怀孕癌症患者的诊断和治疗延迟、癌症分期和生存率。方法：纳入丹麦妊娠期癌症数据库中的患者。从数据库中收集癌症诊断、治疗和产科数据。治疗时间与全国癌症患者路径进行了比较。将诊断时的癌症分期与通过系统文献检索确定的流行病学研究进行比较。生存率与北欧癌症统计数据库NORDCAN的数据进行了比较。结果：该研究包括74名被诊断为妊娠期癌症的患者。中位总延迟为43.5天（IQR 27.75-94.75），患者延迟3天（IQR 0-31），诊断延迟15天（IQR 8-35），治疗延迟9.5天（IQR 0-19）。在80.0%的病例中，从怀疑癌症到开始治疗的时间落在国家推荐的癌症患者路径间隔内。与未怀孕的患者相比，怀孕期间的乳腺癌和黑色素瘤在诊断时往往处于更晚期的阶段。1年和5年死亡率分别为5.4%和17.6%。结论：我们的研究结果表明，与未怀孕的类似癌症患者相比，怀孕癌症患者在诊断时表现为晚期，生存率较低。我们的研究结果表明，丹麦怀孕期间癌症延迟的主要原因是癌症的延迟怀疑。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics 医学-妇产科学

CiteScore

4.70

自引率

15.40%

发文量

493

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： Founded in 1870 as "Archiv für Gynaekologie", Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics has a long and outstanding tradition. Since 1922 the journal has been the Organ of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gynäkologie und Geburtshilfe. "The Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics" is circulated in over 40 countries world wide and is indexed in "PubMed/Medline" and "Science Citation Index Expanded/Journal Citation Report". The journal publishes invited and submitted reviews; peer-reviewed original articles about clinical topics and basic research as well as news and views and guidelines and position statements from all sub-specialties in gynecology and obstetrics.