Mackenzie K. Callaway, Lizelle Comfort, Dhivyaa Anandan, Ruby Sharma, Narjust Florez, Traci R. Lyons, Doris Germain, Kathleen R. Cho, Burton L. Rochelson, Clarissa Bonanno, Kutluk Oktay, Sudarshana Roychoudhury, Eileen O’donnell, Richard Barakat, Joanne Marquardt, Diana W. Bianchi, Elyce Cardonick, Larry Norton, Ann H. Partridge, Susan M. Domchek, Virginia F. Borges, Frédéric Amant, Camila O. Dos Santos
The incidence of cancer during pregnancy is rising, yet scientific understanding and clinical management remain underdeveloped. Delayed diagnoses, limited therapeutic options, and lack of safety data exacerbate the clinical challenges of treating cancer during pregnancy. Further, the biology of gestational cancers is poorly understood due to the scarcity of model systems and mechanistic studies. This manuscript presents a multidisciplinary perspective from a group of researchers and clinicians to evaluate the current state of pregnancy-associated cancers, identify unmet clinical and biological questions, and propose strategies to improve diagnosis, treatment, and maternal-fetal outcomes.