Pregnancy-associated cancers: frequency and temporal trends in Italy

• Published in: International journal of gynecological cancer Vol. 30; no. 2; p. 241
• Main Authors: Parazzini, Fabio, Gadducci, Angiolo, Cicinelli, Ettore, Maggino, Tiziano, Peccatori, Fedro, Scarfone, Giovanna, Roncella, Elena, Scambia, Giovanni, Zola, Paolo, Sartori, Enrico
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-02-2020
• Subjects: Adult; Female; Humans; Italy - epidemiology; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Pregnancy - statistics & numerical data; Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic - epidemiology; Italy; cancer trend; pregnancy
• ISSN: 1525-1438
• DOI: 10.1136/ijgc-2019-000828

Limited data are available on the frequency and time trends of pregnancy-associated cancers, particularly from Southern European countries. The aim of this study was to analyze the frequency and time trends of pregnancy-associated cancer in Italy.
This was a population-based linkage study using the regional hospital discharge forms database of four Italian regions with more than 17 million inhabitants. All resident women with a hospital discharge form reporting a birth or abortion in the time period under consideration were identified. The time period of the study was 2003-2015 for the Piemonte and Puglia region, 2006-2015 for the Tuscany region, and 2005-2015 for the Veneto region. Risk of developing a pregnancy-associated cancer was calculated as the ratio of the number of pregnancy-related cancers to the total number of pregnancies.
A total of 2 297 648 pregnancies were identified. Overall, the pregnancy-associated cancer frequency was 134.8 per 100 000 pregnancies: the frequency ranged from 127.1 in Puglia to 157.3 in Tuscany. The frequency for 100 000 pregnancies was 66.4 in women aged <30 years; the risk increased with age, with a frequency of 275.6 among women aged 40+ years. Approximately two-thirds of cancers were associated with pregnancies resulting in a delivery and one-third with pregnancies resulting in a termination of pregnancy or spontaneous pregnancy loss. No clear trend emerged in the risk of pregnancy-associated cancer per 100 000 pregnancies and calendar year.
No clear time trend was observed in the frequency of pregnancy-associated cancers in Italy during the last 10 years, the rates being 104, 164, and 130 per 100 000 pregnancies, respectively, in 2003, 2010, and 2015.