treating pregnant cancer patients, for fear of lawsuits or criminal charges.
Future fertility is also at risk
“Not just oncologists, but doctors everywhere are feeling they could be at legal risk if they even mention the possibility of a termination of pregnancy, much less cause one with the therapies that they’re giving,” Gralow notes. “We’re interfering with the doctor-patient relationship, which should be private and where we should be able to discuss all options.”
Ironically, these laws might also limit a cancer patient’s chances of future fertility, Gralow adds.
Some cancer treatments can drastically affect a patient’s future fertility, according to the American Cancer Society. More than 60,000 young adults aged 20 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year, and some might wish to preserve their eggs prior to treatment and use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive later.
“In some states, there are laws or at least proposals that life begins at the union of the sperm and egg,” Gralow says. “Think about the implications of that with respect to fertility treatment and a lot for cancer patients who might preserve embryos so they can undergo IVF after their treatment, or who may need IVF to achieve fertility after treatment.”
Another unintended consequence of the Supreme Court’s ruling could be a reduction in access to cancer screening for women, particularly for poor women and women of color, Coussens notes.
“Health care facilities that provide reproductive health counseling, they do more than offer abortions,” Coussens explains. “They provide very important cancer prevention access with regards to mammograms, Pap smears, etc. And many of these clinics are being forced to close, and access to that preventative care is now being restricted.”
The American Cancer Society intends to do everything it can to limit the impact of the court ruling on pregnant cancer patients, Knudsen shares.
“We will be working in the states that are considering restrictions on reproductive care to ensure that they truly understand the impact that the proposed legislation may have on cancer patients and families,” Knudsen adds.
For more information about treating cancer during pregnancy, visit The U.S. National Cancer Institute. abortion ban