Abstract
THE PRECISE influence of pregnancy on the pathogenesis and clinical course of melanoma has not been clearly defined. The impression that the pregnant state negatively influences the natural history of melanoma has been generated by emotionally charged anecdotal reports, as well as reviews that have not taken into account well-established prognostic factors. More recent studies have compared pregnant and nonpregnant patients matched for tumor thickness and fail to substantiate a negative survival impact in those who develop melanoma during a pregnancy or who subsequently become pregnant following the diagnosis of melanoma. An intriguing frequent finding in the recent literature is the diagnosis of melanomas with significantly greater thickness during pregnancy, representing the most compelling evidence for an interaction between the pregnant state and the biology of melanoma. Mechanisms for this interaction have yet to be determined. This review discusses the implications and recommendations for treatment of melanoma before, during, and after pregnancy.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 412-417 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Cancer Bulletin |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| State | Published - 1994 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Cancer Research