• Question: could a baby die of cancer in is mothers womb?

    Asked by sorchandanniirock to Gioia, Iain, Jo, Leo, Mariam on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 19 Jun 2010:

      Yes, they could. Babies very rarely have cancer, so it isn’t very common, but it is possible. There is a type of cancer called teratoma, some types of which are actually a baby which turns into a tumour.

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      Very rarely, babies can develop cancer before birth. Another way of this occurring is if the baby is exposed to radiation in the womb. Either way, though, very rare. Also congratulations for Iain’s disgusting answer – I didn’t know that!

    • Photo: Mariam Orme

      Mariam Orme answered on 21 Jun 2010:

      I don’t KNOW the answer to this, but this is what I think:
      Usually cancer takes a very long time to develop – years. So I reckon that it’s unlikely cancer could develop fast enough to kill a baby before it’s even born. But, in very rare instances, babies can have cancer; so perhaps it is possible for a baby to die of cancer in the womb.

    • Photo: Joanna Watson

      Joanna Watson answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      I don’t know, but as babies cells would be growing really quickly before they are born I would say that it probably can happen. It might have a different name though.

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