Pre-eclampsia may increase some cancer risks

A serious complication during pregnancy increases a woman’s risk of developing breast, ovarian and stomach cancer, researchers said in the British Medical Journal Friday.

Pre-eclampsia, or pregnancy-induced high blood pressure, occurs in an estimated one in 20 pregnancies. It can develop into eclampsia, or convulsion or fits, which account for up to 10 percent of maternal deaths.

Scientists at the Hadassah-Hebrew University in Jerusalem have discovered that women who have had pre-eclampsia are more likely to develop certain types of cancer.

“A history of pre-eclampsia is associated with increases in overall risk of cancer and incidence at several sites (in the body),” Ora Paltiel, of Hadassah-Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said in a report published in the journal.

The scientists, who compared the numbers and types of cancer in women with and without the problem, believe there might be genetic or environmental factors common to the development of pre-eclampsia and certain cancers.

“We found an increased overall incidence of cancer and site specific increases in cancer of the stomach, ovary, and breast after pre-eclampsia,” said Paltiel.

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Doctors do not know what causes pre-eclampsia, which results in constricted vessels that supply blood to the brain. Symptoms include fluid retention and protein in urine. The condition usually develops after the 20th week of pregnancy.

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It is more common in first and twin pregnancies and in women who have a family history of the condition. There is no treatment apart from monitoring the mother and early delivery of the baby by Caesarean section.

Dutch researchers have uncovered evidence suggesting that a genetic defect could be an underlying cause of pre-eclampsia. The defective gene is for an enzyme that clears toxic compounds in the body.  REUTERS