gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Data about the influence of pregnancy on glioma patients are sparse and controversial. We aimed at providing further evidence on this relationship.

Methods: The course of 19 brain tumor patients giving birth to 24 children after tumor surgery was reviewed. Results were compared to the course of 19 nulliparous female patients matched for tumor diagnosis including molecular markers and extent of resection.

Results: Tumor pathology was glioma grade II in 13, glioma grade III in 2, DNET in 1 and ependymoma in 3 patients in both groups. Time interval between tumor resection and delivery was 5.3 ± 4.4 years, and all newborns were healthy after uneventful deliveries. Tumor progression was diagnosed during pregnancy in 2 patients, and 4 patients displayed progressive disease 31.0 ± 11 months after delivery. Three of these patients underwent second surgery, whereas re-resection of recurrent tumor had been performed in two women before pregnancy. Among nulliparous patients 9 women suffered from tumor progression, resulting in re-operation and/or further adjuvant treatment in 7 and 6 cases. Overall follow-up was 9.4 ± 5.8 years in patients with children and 8.6 ± 4.0 years in patients without. There was no difference in progression-free survival in patients with and without children (p=0.40), coming up to 6.0 ± 4.2 and 7.5 ± 3.2 years, respectively.

Conclusion: Pregnancy has no influence on the course of glioma patients.