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Abstract #0630

In utero exposure to chemotherapy affects cortical neurodevelopment

Jeroen Blommaert1, Ahmed Radwan2, Charlotte Sleurs1, Ron Peeters2,3, Stefan Sunaert2,3, Tineke Vandenbroucke1, Gwen Schroyen2, Kristel Van Calsteren4,5, Sabine Deprez2, and Frédéric Amant1,6,7,8

1Oncology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 2Imaging and Pathology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 3Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 4Development and Regeneration, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 5Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium, 6Gynaecologic Oncology, Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 7Gynaecologic Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 8Gynaecologic Oncology, Amsterdam university medical centers, Amsterdam, Netherlands

One in every 1000-2000 pregnancies is complicated by maternal cancer, for which chemotherapy is increasingly administered during pregnancy. However, only limited knowledge exists on the long-term impact of in utero exposure to cancer therapy. This study investigated the impact of prenatal exposure to chemotherapy, at the age of nine, on cortical development using surface-based morphometry. We found cortical thickness to be significantly lower in the superior part of the left pre-central sulcus of the prenatal-exposed children, compared to controls, whereas the gyrification index was significantly higher in the left post-central sulcus of this group, possibly impacting attentional development.

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