Research for better treatment
Enhancing cancer treatment during pregancy
- Uniting researchers and physicians to improve treatment and research
- Cutting-edge treatment protocols for mother and child
- Facilitate the exchange of information among healthcare professionals
Lack of research and comprehensive guidelines
The sector struggles with a lack of research and comprehensive guidelines, leading to uncertainty in treatment protocols. This scarcity of knowledge often results in suboptimal care, as healthcare providers may not have access to the latest research or best practices for treating pregnant women with cancer.
Conduct research & share knowledge
Collaborative research: INCIP unites researchers, physicians, and healthcare professionals from around the world to share knowledge, conduct research, and develop best practices for treating cancer during pregnancy. See more 🔗
Innovative Research: The network conducts rigorous studies to advance understanding and treatment protocols, ensuring that effective cancer treatments can be administered safely to pregnant women without compromising fetal health. See what research is happening 🔗
Knowledge Sharing: INCIP disseminates its findings and guidelines globally, providing healthcare providers with the latest information and tools needed to deliver the best possible care to pregnant cancer patients.
International Network
on Cancer, Infertility and Pregnancy
Collaborative research
Illuminating Cancer Care in Pregnancy
The S25470 Cancer in Pregnancy study has been ongoing for nearly 20 years. Due to the ethical and logistical challenges of including pregnant patients in randomized controlled trials, we rely on extensive observational data to make evidence-based recommendations for managing cancer in pregnant women. Continued prospective registration of patients with pregnancy-associated cancer is essential to achieve larger sample sizes, ensuring robust guidance for patient care. Moreover, expanding our database will help identify knowledge gaps and create opportunities for future research.
Protocol
Explore the comprehensive guidelines and procedures that govern our study, ensuring consistent and reliable data collection and patient management.
Publication policy
Learn about our policies on research publication, including authorship guidelines and data sharing practices.
Additional Research Projects
Receiving a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy triggers a range of emotions for expectant parents. Our goal is to identify the emotional needs of both mothers and their partners when cancer is diagnosed during pregnancy. Validated questionnaires are used to capture their experiences, shedding light on common challenges. Ethical considerations are also explored in managing maternal and neonatal needs.
Increased awareness has significantly enhanced cancer care for pregnant women, resulting in more live births. We are currently collecting extensive, long-term data on the cognitive, behavioral, and academic outcomes of children born to mothers diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy. This international, prospective, and longitudinal study involves collaborations across Belgium, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Italy, Denmark, Germany, and the United States. Initial findings up to age 9, using multimodal Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), indicate normal brain development. Future research will build upon these insights with broader age groups.
While short-term safety of chemotherapy during pregnancy has been established, concerns persist regarding potential long-term impacts on offspring, including DNA damage. Our innovative approach involves single-cell analysis of cord blood to evaluate genetic and epigenetic effects following prenatal chemotherapy exposure. This pioneering research aims to refine safety profiles and inform clinical practices for pregnant cancer patients.
Non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) for chromosomal disorders has emerged as a potential tool for early cancer detection in pregnant women. Our multicenter European study seeks to standardize NIPS protocols to optimize cancer diagnostic accuracy and refine clinical follow-up strategies for cases with inconclusive findings.
Proton therapy offers a promising alternative to conventional photon radiation for maternal cancer treatment during pregnancy, minimizing fetal exposure to out-of-field radiation. The ProPOSE research project aims to quantify the dosimetric advantages of pencil beam proton therapy and establish evidence-based guidelines for its safe application in pregnant patients, thereby expanding access to this advanced therapeutic modality.
Discover more
Foundation
We are committed to advancing research and providing support for families affected by cancer during pregnancy. Through collaboration with experts, we aim to improve health outcomes and provide critical resources.
News & Events
Stay informed about our latest research updates, events, and key milestones that support our mission of improving care for families.
Our story
Our foundation was born from the shared passion of healthcare professionals to better support families facing the challenge of cancer during pregnancy. We’ve since grown into a global initiative, focused on improving care and outcomes.