Two babies were born with cancer cells in Japan, an extremely rare case reported by the New England Journal of Medicine.
Cancer “transmitted” by the mother
The children, born to two different mothers, both suffered from cancer. The first child was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 23 months and the second developed lung cancer at 6 years old.
By sequencing their tumor cells in a clinical trial, the researchers found that these cells contained the same DNA as the tumor cells of their mothers, who had cervical cancer at the time of pregnancy. , indicating the transmission of cancer from maternal to child.
Another finding: children’s tumor cells were positive for human papillomavirus (HPV), known to be one of the main causes of cervical cancer.
Inhaled cancer cells?
The babies may have inhaled maternal cancer cells, found in the amniotic fluid, around the time of delivery, the researchers say.
Rest assured, this kind of case is extremely rare: it is estimated that it occurs in 1 newborn for 500,000 mothers with cancer (who themselves represent one in 1000 childbirth).
Other good news, doctors observed, not without surprise, that some tumor lesions of the first child had regressed spontaneously during the year following the diagnosis. However, regression of cervical cancer of this type is extremely rare.