28 March 2025

Only two percent of hospitals in Australia (approximately) are equipped to provide adequate medical care to pregnant women diagnosed with blood cancers, according to concerning new research published in the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP)’s Internal Medical Journal (IMJ).

Lead researcher Conjoint Professor Nada Hamad from St Vincent's Hospital Sydney said that without national guidelines, care for these women varies widely across the country, often resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment.

"About 1 in 6,000 pregnancies involves a blood cancer diagnosis like leukaemia or lymphoma, and this number is increasing as more women have children at older ages," Prof Hamad said.

"These women face unique challenges that require specialised care. Our research shows that current approaches are inconsistent and often inadequate.

"The complexity of managing both cancer treatment and pregnancy requires careful coordination between multiple specialists.

“Unfortunately, only a handful of healthcare settings in Australia are equipped to provide the required level of coordinated care,” Professor Hamad said.

The essential components for effective care for pregnant women diagnosed with blood cancers include:

• A comprehensive multidisciplinary team approach, bringing together specialists from multiple medical disciplines

• Careful coordination between experts to manage both cancer treatment and pregnancy risks

• Integrated emotional and psychological support to address the complex challenges of a cancer diagnosis during pregnancy

"Our study found that just 25 hospitals across Australia have all the necessary services to properly manage these complex cases," Professor Hamad said.

"Most of these facilities are located in major cities, creating serious barriers for women in rural and remote areas who need this specialised care.

"The research showed that 58 per cent of patients required chemotherapy during pregnancy, which requires careful timing and monitoring to protect both mother and baby.

"This kind of treatment requires facilities with both advanced cancer care and high-level maternity services, a combination that's simply not available in many parts of Australia.

“Which is why we need a nationally consistent and carefully coordinated approach that can be adapted across the country,” Professor Hamad said.

The research’s key recommendations include:

• Developing national clinical guidelines to standardise care for pregnant women with blood cancers

• Establishing a national telehealth referral system to connect patients with specialist teams, especially for women in rural and remote areas

• Creating a national registry to track and research these complex cases, improving future treatment approaches

• Investing in training and resources to expand multidisciplinary care capabilities beyond major metropolitan hospitals

"While the complexity of managing blood cancers during pregnancy is significant, doing nothing is not an option," Professor Hamad said.

"These women are facing critical health challenges at what should be one of the most joyful times of their lives. This is a profound equity issue in our healthcare system.

"Without targeted interventions, we risk leaving vulnerable women and their unborn children without the specialised care they desperately need.

“This is about more than medical treatment – it's about ensuring every woman, regardless of where she lives, has access to lifesaving, compassionate healthcare,” Professor Hamad said