Since the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022, numerous states have enacted laws protecting preborn children from abortion. In response, abortion advocates have endlessly claimed that this puts women at risk, despite the fact that life-saving interventions — even those that could cause the death of the preborn child — are legal in every single state.
Numerous media outlets have reported that pro-life laws put women’s lives at risk, specifically pointing to the needs of cancer patients. Some claim that a pregnant woman with cancer cannot receive treatment without first undergoing an induced abortion, or that continuing the pregnancy makes the chance of a positive outcome lower.
With this constant drumbeat from the media, it makes sense that women are scared; they’re constantly being told that if they are pregnant and have cancer, they need an induced abortion or they are more likely to die. But what is the truth?
Cancer during pregnancy
According to the American Cancer Society, cancer during pregnancy is rare, though it does happen. However, the organization noted that the approach to symptoms indicating cancer are the same during pregnancy as when the patient isn’t pregnant.
If there is a concern, such as a new lump or unexplained pain, most imaging tests are safe during pregnancy, both for the mother and the preborn baby. Though some do include radiation, most of them can be safely used without any harm to the baby. The potential exceptions are PET scans and computed tomography (CT) scans, which do expose the baby to radiation. However, there are low-dose scans that can be used to minimize the risk to the baby.
Other screening tools, like biopsies, are considered safe, particularly once the mother is in the second or third trimester. Once a woman has been diagnosed with cancer, most treatments — chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation — can be safely performed. Ultimately, the American Cancer Society noted that studies confirm outcomes for pregnant cancer patients and non-pregnant cancer patients are about the same.
Furthermore, studies from The Lancet and Lancet Oncology both reported that children born to women who received chemotherapy during pregnancy had normal development, including IQ, hearing, and heart function.
Do woman need to have abortions due to cancer?
According to the National Institutes of Health, the most common cancers diagnosed during pregnancy are breast, cervical, ovarian, thyroid, melanoma, and hematologic origin (meaning leukemia and lymphoma).
It’s well known that breast cancer can be safely treated during pregnancy. Surgery and chemotherapy can both be safely given to a pregnant patient, particularly once the woman has reached the second trimester. According to the National Foundation for Cancer Research, “The health team will consider many factors, including the type, location, size, and stage of the cancer. Depending on these factors, the woman may be able to receive treatment immediately. Depending on the drug, the health team may recommend waiting until after the first trimester (when the baby’s organs are developed) or waiting until after the birth to start chemotherapy.”
The American Cancer Society specifically reported that studies have shown that abortion does not improve outcomes for breast cancer patients, and also noted that abortion is no longer routinely recommended when a pregnant woman is diagnosed with breast cancer. According to Healthline, when abortion is recommended, it is because those doctors don’t know how to safely treat the mother while protecting the preborn child. “Today more women are choosing to treat their cancer while they’re pregnant,” it explained, adding, “Treatment choices for pregnant people with cancer are the same as treatment choices for nonpregnant people with cancer. How and when treatments are given might be different during pregnancy.”
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Cervical cancer is more difficult to treat during pregnancy, according to the National Institutes of Health, because the uterus is involved. However, it also noted that treatment during pregnancy is possible with help from a multidisciplinary team. Recent studies reported that “the treatment strategy has gradually changed from radical treatment with termination of pregnancy to more conservative approaches, allowing even fertility-sparing strategies.” Typically, the treatment strategy will entail waiting until the second trimester, at which point doctors can proceed with chemotherapy or, if the tumor is small, surgery. After delivery, if the cancer is advanced, doctors can perform a radical hysterectomy or continue chemotherapy.
When a woman is diagnosed with ovarian cancer during pregnancy, the American Pregnancy Association noted that it is frequently found in earlier stages, and treatment can be given without danger to the baby. Doctors can perform a unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy — removing the fallopian tube and ovary — on one side, leaving the other side to preserve future fertility. Chemotherapy in the second trimester is also an option. Healthline reported that, incredibly, the survival rates for pregnant women with ovarian cancer are actually higher than non-pregnant women with ovarian cancer.
For women with thyroid cancer, the Annals of Thyroid said the treatment plan is the same during pregnancy as for non-pregnant patients. The American Thyroid Association also noted that pregnancy does not cause the cancer to grow faster. The Thyroid, Head, and Neck Cancer (THANC) Foundation said women are able to undergo surgery, though radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) is not safe, so if necessary, women can undergo that treatment after delivery.
The American Academy of Dermatology reported that melanoma during pregnancy can be safely treated. In fact, the treatment protocol for pregnant patients is the same as for anyone else. Surgery during pregnancy can be performed, and injections of interferon — a protein which helps the body fight cancer — can be safely given without harm to the baby. If the melanoma is advanced and has spread to the brain, the Skin Cancer Foundation said treatment can become more difficult. However, it cited Dr. Marcia Driscoll, associate professor of dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, who said, “Pregnant women with melanoma were believed to have a much worse prognosis in the past. Now we have controlled studies to support that a pregnant woman with early stage melanoma has the same prognosis as a nonpregnant woman (with the same melanoma stage).”
Treatment for leukemia is the same during pregnancy, according to Leukemia Care. Pregnant women can receive leukemia care once they reach the second trimester, and data suggests the prognosis between pregnant and non-pregnant patients is similar. The potential issues that could arise are dependent upon the kind of leukemia the woman has been diagnosed with, and when. If she has an aggressive form of leukemia, like acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and is diagnosed in the first trimester, treatment may not be able to be delayed into the second trimester.
Lymphoma during pregnancy will be diagnosed using a biopsy, MRI, or ultrasound, avoiding PET scans due to radiation, according to Lymphoma Action. As with the other cancers mentioned, chemotherapy cannot be performed in the first trimester, but doctors can safely treat the woman with steroids to delay the start of chemotherapy until the second trimester. Radiation treatment can be performed during pregnancy with some precautions taken.
Whatever the cancer, it’s clear that in most cases, pregnant women can safely undergo treatment without risk to their preborn baby. In very rare circumstances, such as with aggressive melanoma or AML, chemotherapy may need to begin in the first trimester, and this is considered dangerous for the baby, with risks of birth defects or miscarriage.
Ultimately, the reality is that abortion is not the default treatment for cancer during pregnancy. Most pregnant cancer patients have good outcomes without induced abortion, and a team of doctors — including gynecologists and neonatologists — will work together to find a treatment plan to keep both mother and baby safe.
If a woman does need to undergo a life-saving intervention during pregnancy, such as for ectopic pregnancy or a hysterectomy for cervical cancer, this is not the same thing as an induced abortion, where the preborn baby is specifically targeted and intentionally killed. Furthermore, these life-saving interventions are legal in every single state. The sad truth is that the fearmongering over abortion and cancer is nothing more than exploiting women’s fears to promote a pro-abortion agenda, because the science is clear: pregnant women can fight cancer without intentionally killing their preborn babies.
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