Pharmacokinetics of Systemic Anticancer Therapies During Pregnancy

Systemic treatment such as chemotherapy displays a critical role in various cancers diagnosed in women of childbearing age. In the context of pregnancy, clinicians need to balance embryo-fetal well-being with maternal prognosis. Recent clinical data indicate that systemic treatment in cancer patients during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy is feasible and should be as close as possible to that used in nonpregnant patient. Conversely, some other anticancer agents such as trastuzumab should be avoided given their potential fetal toxicity.