Maternal and Foetal Outcomes of Newly Diagnosed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia During Pregnancy and its Long-Term Impact

Diagnosing Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) during pregnancy presents challenges for both haematologists and obstetricians. Limited data exists regarding the management of pregnancy-associated CML in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This study aimed to assess pregnancy, foetal, and long-term disease outcomes in female patients newly diagnosed with CML in the chronic phase (CML-CP) during pregnancy. A retrospective analysis was conducted on female CML-CP patients presenting between January 2002 and December 2022 at our institution. Inclusion criteria encompassed patients newly diagnosed with CML-CP during pregnancy. Data pertaining to pregnancy outcomes, foetal development, and disease progression were analysed through a comprehensive review of medical records. Among the female CML patients, thirteen were diagnosed with CML-CP during pregnancy. The median patient age was 24 years (range: 20–35). Diagnoses occurred in the first trimester for six patients, the second trimester for three, and the third trimester for four. Outcomes included five elective terminations (38.5%), five pre-term deliveries (38.5%), and three full-term deliveries (23.1%). Management included observation in 6 (46.3%), hydroxyurea in 3 (23.1%), imatinib in 3 (23.1%) and Interferon-α (IFN-α) in 1 (7.7%) patients. Noteworthy obstetric complications encompassed threatened abortion with intrauterine foetal death (IUFD) (1 patient), intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (3 patients), oligohydramnios (2 patients), antepartum haemorrhage (1 patient), placental abruption (1 patient), and postpartum haemorrhage (3 patients). At a median follow-up duration of 10.7 years, 11 patients were at a major molecular remission (including 2 patients with deep molecular remission) and two patients progressed to the accelerated phase. The diagnosis and management of CML during pregnancy is a complex and challenging task that requires collaboration between haematologists and obstetricians. Effective management of newly diagnosed CML-CP during pregnancy is contingent on the trimester of presentation. Further research and collaboration are warranted to develop standardised guidelines for managing pregnancy-associated CML, particularly in LMICs.