UFRJ study links cesarean delivery to higher risk of placental cancer FAST-MOVING
Researchers at the Maternidade Escola of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), in collaboration with Harvard’s New England Trophoblastic Disease Center, analysed data from 2,904 patients treated between 2002 and 2022. The cohort comprised 83.9% of women with no prior cesarean and 468 women who had at least one cesarean section.
The study found that women who had previously undergone a cesarean delivery have a 45% higher risk of developing gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, a rare placental cancer. Specifically, 26.5% of the cesarean group developed the disease compared with 20.8% of women without a cesarean history. The researchers suggest that the uterine scar may provide an entry point for molar cells, facilitating invasion.
Gestational trophoblastic disease occurs in Brazil at roughly one case per 200‑400 pregnancies, amounting to about 2,900 cases each year, and up to 20% of molar pregnancies can progress to cancer. Brazil’s cesarean rate is among the world’s highest, near 55%, amplifying the public‑health relevance of the findings.
Entities: Cesarean delivery · Gabriela Paiva · Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia · Harvard University (New England Trophoblastic Disease Center) · Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 2 SOURCES] Brazil’s cesarean rate is about 55%, far above the WHO recommendation of up to 15%. (Study discussion)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Reducing Brazil’s cesarean rate to 35% could prevent about 177 cases of placental cancer per year, a 6.1% incidence drop. (Study projection)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Gestational trophoblastic disease occurs in Brazil at about one case per 200‑400 pregnancies, roughly 2,900 cases per year. (national health data cited in the study)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Among women with prior cesarean, 26.5% developed the cancer, versus 20.8% of those without cesarean history. (UFRJ study results)
- [● 19 SOURCES] The study analyzed data from 2,904 patients treated at UFRJ and a Harvard-affiliated center between 2002 and 2022. (UFRJ‑Harvard collaborative study)
- [● 19 SOURCES] Up to 20% of molar pregnancies can progress to placental cancer. (medical literature referenced in the study)
- [● 20 SOURCES] Women who have had a cesarean delivery have a 45% higher risk of developing gestational trophoblastic neoplasia. (study led by UFRJ researchers)
- [● 4 SOURCES] The uterine scar left by a cesarean may act as an entry point for molar cells, increasing invasion risk. (research hypothesis reported by study authors)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Reducing Brazil’s cesarean rate to 35% could prevent around 177 cases of placental cancer per year, a 6.1% reduction in incidence. (UFRJ study)
- [● 20 SOURCES] Gestational trophoblastic disease occurs in Brazil at a rate of about one case per 200‑400 pregnancies, roughly 2,900 cases per year. (UFRJ study)
- [● 20 SOURCES] Among women with prior cesarean, 26.5% developed gestational trophoblastic neoplasia, compared with 20.8% of those without prior cesarean. (study results)
- [● 20 SOURCES] 83.9% of the patients had no prior cesarean and 468 had at least one cesarean surgery. (patient cohort data)