Cancer from mother to child

“Scientists prove cancer can be passed on in the womb,” reported The Guardian today. The newspaper said that in the first proven case of cancer cells crossing the placental barrier, a mother had passed on leukaemia to her unborn child.

The case study behind the news stories is the first genetic evidence for mother-to-child transmission of leukaemia cells. As newspapers reported, infants’ immune systems usually destroy potentially malignant cells passing through the placenta from their mother, but in this case, the child also carried a genetic mutation making the cancer cells unrecognisable to the immune system.

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Not surprised, as a mother can pass on the HIV virus to her child in the womb.

reply to post by Aquarius1


I just want to point out that HIV is not passed to from mother to child in the womb. Since fetuses create all their own cells, the most likely route for mother to child infection is when the child passes through the birth canal, because there is abrasion and possibly cross contamination.

reply to post by Aquarius1


removed double post ooops

[edit on 14-10-2009 by red_leader]

reply to post by Aquarius1


removed double post

[edit on 14-10-2009 by red_leader]

Originally posted by red_leader
reply to post by Aquarius1

 

I just want to point out that HIV is not passed to from mother to child in the womb. Since fetuses create all their own cells, the most likely route for mother to child infection is when the child passes through the birth canal, because there is abrasion and possibly cross contamination.

Thank you, you are correct, I knew that and forgot, haven't done much reading on HIV recently, sad because it certainly hasn't gone away.
I don't want to think that cancer or any disease can be passed on from mother to fetus in the womb.