Pregnancy is Not Detrimental to the Melanoma Patient with Clinically Localized Disease

Overview

Journal J Clin Aesthet Dermatol

Date 2010 Aug 21

PMID 20725540

Citations 4

Authors

Mary S Brady

Nikki S Noce

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: There exists a strong belief among physicians and the lay public that pregnancy adversely affects survival in patients with melanoma. The authors asked if there was any evidence to support this in patients with clinically localized disease.

Methods: The authors reviewed the published literature on MEDLINE.

Results: The authors found no compelling evidence in the literature that pregnancy has a negative impact on survival in patients with clinically localized cutaneous melanoma. Two recent population-based studies reported no negative impact of pregnancy on survival when pregnant melanoma patients were compared to nonpregnant gender-matched controls. A small increased risk of cause-specific death was noted in a recent population-based study, though this effect was small (HR, 1.52, p=0.47) and pregnant patients were more likely to have axial primary sites, which are associated with a poorer outcome.

Conclusion: There is no compelling evidence that pregnancy adversely affects outcome in melanoma patients who have clinically localized disease. Continuing to recommend a delay in childbearing for these patients is not supported by the published medical literature.

Citing Articles

Pregnancy-associated melanoma: characteristics and outcomes from 2002 to 2020.

Davidson T, Hieken T, Glasgow A, Habermann E, Yan Y Melanoma Res. 2024; 34(2):175-181.

PMID: 38265469 PMC: 10906198. DOI: 10.1097/CMR.0000000000000953.

Cutaneous melanoma in women.

Roh M, Eliades P, Gupta S, Grant-Kels J, Tsao H Int J Womens Dermatol. 2017; 3(1 Suppl):S11-S15.

PMID: 28492033 PMC: 5419022. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2017.02.003.

Melanoma in pregnancy: a case report and review of the literature.

Wielowieyska-Szybinska D, Spalkowska M, Wojas-Pelc A Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2016; 32(6):483-7.

PMID: 26755917 PMC: 4697016. DOI: 10.5114/pdia.2014.44006.

Cutaneous Melanoma in Women.

Roh M, Eliades P, Gupta S, Tsao H Int J Womens Dermatol. 2015; 1(1):21-25.

PMID: 25844396 PMC: 4380274. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijwd.2015.01.001.

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