Decisions on Future Childbearing in Women Diagnosed with Meningioma

Researchers from the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla., developed a survey to identify the impact of a meningioma diagnosis on women’s views about reproductive choices. Some reports indicate that pregnancy may be a risk factor for tumor progression or recurrence. In a preliminary study, researchers surveyed women who had received a diagnosis of meningioma in order to ascertain their personal attitudes toward childbearing and what influences, such as physician recommendations, may have played a role in these attitudes. The majority (70 percent) of surveyed female meningioma survivors ages 25 to 44 claimed a strong desire to bear a child, and 27 percent of these respondents intended to have a baby in the future. The majority of respondents to the survey (52 percent) reported that their physicians advised them about potential risk factors for meningioma recurrence. Nearly half of the respondents stated that pregnancy was one of those factors. The factor that most influenced childbirth intentions among the meningioma survivors was the risk of recurrent meningioma and the need for more treatment. To read more about this survey, click here.