Keywords
gynecological cancer
psychosocial factors
Categories
How to Cite
Abstract
Objective: gynecological cancer during pregnancy is a rare and complex clinical condition that poses both medical and psychosocial challenges. The objective was to map the available scientific evidence on the psychosocial aspects in pregnant women diagnosed with gynecological cancer.
Methodology: a scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR 2020 methodology and the PCC framework. A search was performed in different databases using MeSH terms related to pregnancy, gynecological cancer, and psychosocial factors. Initially, 936 articles were identified, of which nine studies that met the established requirements were selected.
Result: the findings show that these women face high levels of anxiety, depression, and distress related to diagnostic uncertainty, fear of pregnancy loss, and possible cancer progression. Social repercussions such as stigma, isolation, and decreased support from their close networks are described, as well as difficulties in therapeutic decision-making influenced by cultural, family, and ethical factors.
Conclusion: gynecological cancer during pregnancy has a significant impact on women's psychosocial well-being, requiring a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach that includes psychological and social support.
References
1. Hacker NF, Gambone JC, Hobel CJ. Hacker & Moore’s essentials of obstetrics and gynecology. 6th ed. Filadelfia (PA), Elsevier; 2016.
2. Cunningham FG, Leveno KJ, Dashe JS, Hoffman BL, Spong CY, Casey BM. Williams obstetricia. 26.ª ed. Ciudad de México: McGraw Hill; 2022.
3. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Cáncer [Internet]. Ginebra: OMS; 2022 [citado el 4 de noviembre de 2024]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cancer
4. Organización Mundial de la Salud. Crece la carga mundial de cáncer en medio de una creciente necesidad de servicios [Internet]. Ginebra: OMS; 2024. [citado el 4 de noviembre de 2024]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-mounting-need-for-services
5. Bourlon MT, Barragan-Carrillo R, Mesa-Chávez F, Villarreal-Garza C. Challenges of treating young women with cancer in
the era of new oncologic treatments. Rev Invest Clin. 2021;73(5):302–5. https://doi.org/10.24875/RIC.21000312
6. Virtue SM, Manne SL, Darabos K, Heckman CJ, Ozga M, Kissane D, et al. Emotion episodes during psychotherapy sessions among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers. Psychooncology. 2015;24(9):1189–96. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.3737
7. Sánchez-Pedraza R, Sierra-Matamoros F, Morales-Mesa OL. Relación entre calidad de vida y provisión de cuidado paliativo en mujeres con cáncer en Colombia: un estudio transversal. Rev Colomb Obstet Ginecol. 2017;68(1):25–34. https://doi.org/10.18597/rcog.2979
8. González-Martín A. El cáncer ginecológico. Arbor. 2015;191(773):a237. https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2015.773n3007
9. Hailu HE, Mondul AM, Rozek LS, Geleta T. Descriptive epidemiology of breast and gynecological cancers among patients attending Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia. PLoS One. 2020;15(3):e0230625. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230625
10. Durden AA, Montgomery A, Newton C, Patel A. Gynaecological malignancy in pregnancy. Eur J Gynaecol Oncol. 2024;45(5):1–9. https://doi.org/10.22514/ejgo.2024.088
11. Bohlin KS, Brännström M, Dahm‐Kähler P. Gynecological cancer during pregnancy—from a gyne‐oncological perspective. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(4):761–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14763
12. China S, Sinha Y, Sinha D, Hillaby K. Management of gynaecological cancer in pregnancy. Obstet Gynaecol. 2017; 19(2):139–46. https://doi.org/10.1111/tog.12367
13. Velázquez Martín M, Lojo Lendoiro S, Soto Flores N, Jiménez Gómez E, Abadal Villayandre JM, Datino T, et al. Exposición ocupacional a radiación ionizante en profesionales gestantes: documento de consenso de ACI-SEC/ARC-SEC/SERVEI/SENR/SERAM/GeNI. REC Interv Cardiol. 2025;7(4):246-254. https://doi.org/10.24875/RECIC.M25000526
14. Storgaard L, Greiber IK, Pedersen BW, Nielsen BB, Karlsen MA. Cancer in pregnancy – the obstetrical management. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(4):630–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14653
15. Mazzola R, Corradini S, Eidemüeller M, Figlia V, Fiorentino A, Giaj-Levra N, et al. Modern radiotherapy in cancer treatment during pregnancy. Crit Rev Oncol Hematol. 2019;136:13–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.critrevonc.2019.02.002
16. Cubillo A, Morales S, Goñi E, Matute F, Muñoz JL, Pérez-Díaz D, et al. Multidisciplinary consensus on cancer management during pregnancy. Clin Transl Oncol. 2021;23(6):1054–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-020-02491-8.
17. Palicelli A, Tonni G, Torricelli F, Melli B, Cusenza VY, Martinelli S, et al. Metastatic carcinomas at the episiotomy site: a systematic literature review. Cancers (Basel). 2025;17(17):2801. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17172801
18. Metcalfe A, Cairncross ZF, McMorris CA, Friedenreich CM, Nelson G, Bhatti P, et al. Cancer chemotherapy in pregnancy and adverse pediatric outcomes: a population-based cohort study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2025;117(3):554–61. https://doi.org/10.1093/jnci/djae273
19. Melekoglu E, Yılmaz B, Çevik A, Gökyıldız Sürücü Ş, Avcıbay Vurgeç B, Gözüyeşil E, et al. The Impact of the human milk microbiota in the prevention of disease and infant health. Breastfeed Med. 2023;18(6):413–30. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2022.0292
20. Korenaga TK, Tewari KS. Gynecologic cancer in pregnancy. Gynecol Oncol. 2020;157(3):799–809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.03.015
21. Nanda S, Nana M, Nguyen‐Hoang L, Adam S, McAuliffe F, Bergman L, et al. Cancer in pregnancy: FIGO best practice advice and narrative review. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 2025;171(1):131–51. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijgo.70258
22. Page MJ, McKenzie JE, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD, et al. The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ. 2021:372;n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71.
23. Ramírez-Castañeda V. Disadvantages in preparing and publishing scientific papers caused by the dominance of the English language in science: the case of Colombian researchers in biological sciences. PLoS One. 2020;15(9):e0238372. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0238372
24. Amant F, Berveiller P, Boere IA, Cardonick E, Fruscio R, Fumagalli M, et al. Gynecologic cancers in pregnancy: guidelines based on a third international consensus meeting. Ann Oncol. 2019;30(10):1601–12. https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdz228
25. Vandenbroucke T, Han SN, Van Calsteren K, Wilderjans TF, Van den Bergh BRH, Claes L, et al. Psychological distress and cognitive coping in pregnant women diagnosed with cancer and their partners. Psychooncology 2017;26(8):1215–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/PON.4301
26. Betchen M, Grunberg VA, Gringlas M, Cardonick E. Being a mother after a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy: maternal psychosocial functioning and child cognitive development and behavior. Psychooncology. 2020;29(7):1148–55. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5390
27. Szablewska AW, Zdun-Ryżewska A. Longitudinal Assessment of Fatigue in Pregnancy Complicated by Cervical Cancer: A Prospective Case Study and Implications for Nursing and Midwifery Practice. Nurs Rep. 2025; 15:108. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15030108
28. LeJeune C, Mora-Soto N, Storgaard L, Pareja R, Amant F. Cervical cancer in pregnancy. Semin Perinatol. 2025;49(2):152038. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semperi.2025.152038
29. Kozu M, Masujima M, Majima T. Experience of Japanese pregnant women with cancer in decision-making regarding cancer treatment and obstetric care. Jpn J Nurs Sci. 2020; 17(2), e12300. https://doi.org/10.1111/jjns.12300
30. Harris J, Ream E, Armes J, Gibson F, Marcu A, Parsons CT, et al. What do we know about the psychosocial issues associated with cancer during pregnancy? A scoping review and gap analysis. BMJ Open. 2023;13(7):e063283. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063283
31. Samarasinghe A, Shafi MI. Cancer in pregnancy. Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Med. 2014;24(11):333–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogrm.2014.08.005
32. Harrison P. Psychosocial impact of a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy. Nurs Womens Health 2013;17(5):437–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-486X.12067
33. Reed N, Balega J, Barwick T, Buckley L, Burton K, Eminowicz G, et al. British Gynaecological Cancer Society (BGCS) cervical cancer guidelines: Recommendations for practice. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol. 2021; 256:433–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2020.08.020
34. Xu T, Wang L, Jia Y, Jia Z, Li Z, Cui S, et al. Long-term multidisciplinary integrative therapy management resulted in favorable outcomes for ovarian cancer during pregnancy: a case report and literature review. J Ovarian Res. 2019; 12:108. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-019-0584-3
35. Rolland JS. Cancer and the family: an integrative model. Cancer. 2005;104(11):2584–95. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.21489
36. Heimovaara JH, van Calsteren K, Lok CAR, Evens AM, Hoegl J, Ferber A, et al. Results of an international survey on the current organization of care for pregnant women with cancer. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2024;103(4):751–6. https://doi.org/10.1111/aogs.14748
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2026 Alejandra Muñoz Moya, Amanda Ahumada-López, Natalia Lebuy-Guerrero, Constanza Muñoz-Arellano, Ignacia Órdenes Ramírez, Camila Gálvez-Milla