Abstract
As the incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the younger population increases and
women start their childbearing journey at later ages, CRC in pregnancy will become
an increasingly relevant and decreasingly rare occurrence. Unfortunately, there is
a dearth of data on this subject given its historical rarity. CRC is often diagnosed
at a late stage in pregnancy because of the conflation of symptoms of pregnancy with
symptoms of CRC. A major branch point for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC in pregnancy
is whether it is diagnosed early or late in pregnancy. The workup for cancer is similar
for pregnant and nonpregnant populations and includes endoscopy and staging computed
tomography. Treatment is dependent on the stage of cancer and term of pregnancy. This
review summarizes the current evidence for diagnosis, workup, and treatment of CRC
during pregnancy and explores issues of fertility after a diagnosis of CRC.
Keywords
colon cancer - rectal cancer - pregnancy - oncofertility
