Effect of Pregnancy on Survival in Women With Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma

Abstract

The survival of pregnant women with melanoma is not worse than the survival of nonpregnant women with melanoma. Pregnancy subsequent to the diagnosis of primary melanoma was not associated with an increased risk of death.

Melanoma During Pregnancy

“…The results of uncontrolled studies conducted from 1950 to 1980 show that pregnancy is an unfavorable prognostic factor in patients' survival (Pack & Scharnagel, 1951;Sutherland et al, 1983;Trapeznikov et al, 1987 ), but the reports of recent controlled studies oppose this finding (Lens et al, 2004;Reintgen et al, 1985;McManamny et al, 1989;Wong et al, 1989;Slingluff et al, 1990;MacKie et al, 1991). The most recent population studies demonstrate equal survival among women with the same melanoma stage regardless they are pregnant or not (Lens et al, 2004;O'Meara et al, 2005). Overall survival rate in both pregnant and nonpregnant patients was 82% (Lens et al, 2004).…”

“…From 1958From to 1999 women with melanoma were included in the most extensive epidemiology study based on Swedish and regional registries; 0.9% of malignant melanomas were diagnosed during the pregnancy. Of all included patients, 5,533 of women were in reproductive age and 185 (3.3%) of them were diagnosed with melanoma during the pregnancy (Lens et al, 2004.). The prognostic features for melanoma depend on the stage it has been diagnosed.…”

Melanoma in pregnancy – where we are?

“…A WHO study found a statistically increased tumor thickness in pregnant women versus non-pregnant controls, despite finding no impact of pregnancy on MM outcome [10]. Furthermore, a large population-based study found no significant difference in MM tumor thickness in pregnancy [11] and melanoma in pregnancy survival study showed the same [12]. Overall, there is little evidence to support that physiologic changes of pregnancy significantly affect the histopathology of MM.…”

“…Large-scale studies involving thousands of women have shown no significant correlation between localized melanoma diagnosis made during pregnancy and survival [11,12]. Some studies have shown a shortened disease-free interval in patients diagnosed in pregnancy, while other larger studies have shown no correlation.…”

“…A study of tumor thickness in a Swedish population found a thickness of 1.28 mm in pregnant women and 1.07 mm in non-pregnant women, the findings were not statistically significant [9]. A WHO study found a statistically increased tumor thickness in pregnant women versus non-pregnant controls, despite finding no impact of pregnancy on MM outcome [10].…”