Malignancy is the second most common cause of mortality in the reproductive period and it
complicates up to one out of every 1000 pregnancies. When cancer is diagnosed during
pregnancy, the management approach must take into consideration both the mother and her
fetus. Hematologic cancers diagnosed in pregnancy are not common, resulting in paucity of
randomized controlled trials. Diagnosis of such malignancies may be missed or delayed, as
their symptoms are similar to those encountered during normal pregnancy. Also, many …

The pregnant woman with a hematologic neoplasm presents several diagnostic and
therapeutic challenges for the obstetrician. The rare occurrence and subtle presentation of
these malignancies often delay their diagnoses, which may adversely affect prognosis. In
addition, the physiologic changes associated with pregnancy can mask certain laboratory
abnormalities that typically are noted in patients with hematologic disor-ders. For example,
what may appear to be a simple anemia of pregnancy or gestational thrombocytopenia may …