Cancerous Fetus

Updated on February 26, 2009
A.B. asks from San Jacinto, CA
9 answers

Have any of you heard of a fetus turning cancerous while developing. My cousin has had this happen twice and I was wondering if anyone knew where i could get info of why or how this happens.

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So What Happened?

Thank you all so much for the advices. When i talk to her I will tell her what you all said. I havent talked to her yet as she was in the hospital for a while due to blood loss. Thanks again

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T.N.

answers from Las Vegas on

From a pathology standpoint I would consult an oncologist and a geneticist. If this has happened more than once there is something more going on. Molar pregnancies are rather rare and having a second I would tend to wonder why this happened again. She needs a good genetic counselor and some serious work-up done. Please... I don't wish to be blunt... but don't think something like this can be fixed with an herbal treatment.

I worked in pathology for years and assisted on many of these cases... this is treatable... but if it keeps happening there is something more going on... and that is going to require specialists.

good luck.

3 moms found this helpful

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R.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi A.,

There are rare congenital forms of cancer that can begin developing in the womb. Some, like cervical teratomas and lymphangiomas, can become large enough that they can obstruct the airway at birth. There are actually centers that specialize in delivering these very high-risk babies through prenatal surgery or by performing surgery at birth through a partial delivery process so the baby is still supported by the placenta. BTW, teratomas are germ-cell tumors that contain bits of different types of tissues, usually hair, skin, and teeth, so it kind of makes sense that they can arise in pregnancy, either in the developing fetus or alongside it as a "twin."

Other congenital cancers that I'm aware of are fibrosarcoma (found in muscle and bone)and types that affect the kidneys and eyes. Not all congenital cancers are apparent in the womb or at birth and may not be diagnosed until a couple of years after birth. Cases of congenital Burkitt's lymphoma (caused by the EBV virus) have also been reported, but it's rare to find this outside of African countries (and very uncommon there, too). There have also been rare cases of a pregnant woman with cancer "sharing" cancerous cells with the developing fetus.

Tanya's right -- your cousin needs to see an oncologist and a geneticist. I also agree that herbal remedies are unlikely to help in this situation, although theoretically, boosting some immune functions might help with normal immune system surveillance of precancerous and cancerous cells. Keep in mind, however, that many herbs can actually be quite potent carcinogens. Just because it's natural, doesn't make it safe. I wouldn't go chewing on hemlock, for example!

Good luck to your cousin. I hope everything works out for her.

1 mom found this helpful
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A.T.

answers from Los Angeles on

She probably had a partial molar pregnancy. Go to Web MD and look up "Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasm". That's a good starting point.

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M.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

I think this is something called a molar pregnancy. You may want to google that. Sometimes the mass of cells doesn't turn into a fetus, and can be cancerous. This happened to a friend of a friend. Very sad. Good Luck to your cousin.

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N.G.

answers from Los Angeles on

Yes, I had this with my first pregnancy. It's called a molar pregnancy. There's lots of info online. For me, it was a 9-month ordeal that included 4 doctors, chemo shots and two D & Cs. Tell your cousin to try a new doctor if she doesn't feel like she's getting a response.

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S.R.

answers from Los Angeles on

i believe it is called a mole or molar pregnancy. i am sure the internet has some good info on this. even basic pregnancy guides. i had a miscarrage and this was brought up and what i learned is that for some reason your will get a positive pregnancy test but there is no live pregnancy. this does not mean that the person carrying the fetus has cancer, but the mole is cancerous.
thats about the most i know.

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S.B.

answers from San Diego on

Hi A.-

I think you're talking about a Molar Pregnancy. A girlfriend of mine had it as well. I don't remember the fetus turning cancerous, In her case, I don't think the fetus ever starting forming, but the cells turned cancerous. I just googled it and found this link http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/pregnancyloss/a/aa072599.htm. My friend had to have something like a D&C, and one shot of chemo.

Good job of being supportive!

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V.M.

answers from Los Angeles on

she will benefit greatly from seeing professional homeopath prior to her next pregnancy. here is a link to help her find qualified specialist in her area. go to NCH Services selection on top and drop-down menu with Find Homeopath option will appear
http://nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/
Good Luck
V

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T.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi A.,
I think that's what a "molar pregnancy" is considered. Did your cousin mention this term to you? I know of someone else this happened to and she said it was a molar pregnancy. If you google the term you will find out more info for her. I hope this helps.
T. C.

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