Abstract P6-16-10: Is pregnancy testing during chemotherapy standardized?
Authors: Berger N , Fitzpatrick K , Klein P 
Published: May 2019

The initiative to improve awareness about the risks of infertility for premenopausal patients receiving chemotherapy has improved significantly over time. While the risks for infertility are high, there is still a small risk of pregnancy during chemotherapy. The incidence of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy is 0.1-0.2%. The incidence of women who become pregnant while on chemotherapy is less clear but does occur. Amenorrhea commonly occurs during chemotherapy but this does not necessarily correlate with lack of ovarian function. Treating a patient with an unidentified pregnancy is an adverse event which must be avoided given the high risk it poses to the fetus, especially during the first trimester. Pregnancy testing prior to the initiation of chemotherapy is recommended by the NCCN and ASCO. However, recommendations on how to monitor for pregnancy after an initial screen are inconsistent and lack standardization. Formal guidelines and policies are needed to prevent and/or identify pregnancies while on chemotherapy.

We surveyed five breast medical oncologists and six infusion nurses at a busy urban breast center to determine their baseline practices in regards to pregnancy counseling and testing. Of physicians and nurses surveyed, 40% (2/5) and 33% (2/6) respectively have diagnosed a pregnancy while on chemotherapy. When surveyed about counseling patients on the risks of pregnancy, 80% of physicians counsel patients prior to initiation of chemotherapy, but one physician and one infusion nurse said they do not counsel patients about the risk of pregnancy at any time but do discuss the risks of infertility. All physicians surveyed check a pregnancy test prior to the initiation of chemotherapy, but 60% check urine and 40% check serum. Thereafter 60% will check a pregnancy test after initial screen if the patient is concerned and 40% will check intermittently during chemotherapy. Of the nurses surveyed, 33% will check a pregnancy test after initial screen if the patient is concerned and 50% check intermittently during treatment. Half of the infusion nurses said they ask patients if they are concerned they may be pregnant intermittently during chemotherapy and 50% answered that they do not ask again after the initial screen. On subsequent screens the choice of urine or serum hCG testing varies and is not standardized.

These survey results demonstrate that both pregnancy counseling and pregnancy screening practices vary widely even within the same institution. A standardized approach is essential to increase awareness of pregnancy risk while on chemotherapy, improve education of this risk to patients, prevent unwanted pregnancies, and identify pregnancies as soon as possible. We have initiated a quality improvement project to check urine pregnancy tests monthly in all premenopausal patients (age &lt;55) receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. Based on our findings we will institute a protocol at our institution for uniform teaching on the small risk of pregnancy and uniform pregnancy testing while on chemotherapy.

Citation Format: Berger N, Fitzpatrick K, Klein P. Is pregnancy testing during chemotherapy standardized? [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-16-10.