Those women, who survived cancer during their childhood, need to closely monitored since recent medical studies has shown that they are at higher risk of birth complications.
Dr. Sharon Lie Fong, of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands and her colleagues get the data after studying the pregnancies of 40 women who had been treated for cancer during their childhood, the majority of them for leukaemia, but also for solid tumours.
Fong said from their subjects, six had had radiation treatment directly to the abdomen.
She said the data they gathered were compared with those from a control group of more than 9,000 women who had not had cancer treatment.
She added all data were obtained from The Netherlands Prenatal Register, a nationwide database of pregnancy outcomes.
The medical expert said data were matched for age at pregnancy, year and month of delivery, and the number of times the woman had given birth.
The medical expert added the team did not investigate overall fertility and miscarriage rates, but they believe that it is possible that the fertility of all the cancer survivors will be compromised.
Fong said the ovarian reserve or capacity of the ovary to provide eggs capable of fertilisation, is established in the foetus and decreases during a woman’s reproductive lifetime.
Women who survived cancer during their childhood need to be careful since they are at higher risk of birth complications.
Fong added women with a poor ovarian reserve are less likely to conceive, even with assisted reproduction therapies, than those with a normal number of eggs.
She said women might also have an earlier menopause, as their stock of eggs is exhausted at a younger age.
She revealed long-term, multi-disciplinary follow-up for female child cancer survivors is mandatory.
Furthermore, the researchers said although at the start of treatment, future fertility may not be of great concern to care providers; it is to the patient’s parents.
The researchers added during follow-up, survivors should be made aware of the possible late effects of their treatment.
They said in addition to the deleterious effects of abdominal radiotherapy on reproductive function, radiotherapy to the head can also cause problems by causing the hypothalamus to reduce the production of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone, both important in promoting ovulation.
The team believe that it is particularly important for all female children who are treated for cancer, and their parents, to be made aware of this risk.
They said their research has also shown how important it is that, if they do become pregnant, childhood cancer survivors should be closely monitored throughout their pregnancy and that they are delivered in a clinical setting, rather than at home.
The researchers concluded that even if at first fertility seems normal for childhood cancer survivors, there may be problems later in life.
A substantial number of female soldiers are suffering from eating disorders brought about by the pressures of their chosen profession.
Based on a one-year-study on women in military service it was discovered that many of them are suffering from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other types of eating disorders caused by environmental and traditional factors.
According to Tamara Lauder, MD, a key member of the research team those women soldiers who are suffering eating disorders are usually not satisfied with their weight that lead those to undergo unhealthy eating pattern that eventually lead to their medical condition.
Lauder revealed many women soldiers have a strong drive to be thin to keep up with their male counterpart that drove them to commit unhealthy diet that results in eating disorders.
According to a latest study, a large number of women soldiers are suffering from eating disorders.
The majority of women soldiers interviewed by the research team revealed that they are pressured to be thin and fit so that they would in unison with male soldiers in weight and fitness standards.
Well this latest interesting data should serve as lesson to women soldiers to always take good care of your body.
Women soldiers needs to realize that although being thin and fit is a laudable act they should do it naturally without jeopardizing their body for the sake of their family and country in general.