Melanoma and pregnancy: eight questions with discussion

In a question-and-discussion format, the authors summarize the major studies on melanoma and pregnancy. The laboratory studies reviewed give conflicting results; however, excellent epidemiologic studies suggest that pregnancy and melanoma are not closely linked. Specifically, the prognosis of pregnant women with melanoma is similar to the prognosis of nonpregnant women with melanoma of equal tumor thickness, and melanoma is neither more nor less likely to occur in previously pregnant women. Some studies have shown that pregnant women have melanomas that are thicker than nonpregnant women's melanomas. The reason is unclear, but it may be because malignant changes in pigmented lesions during pregnancy have been ignored. Treatment options for pregnant women with melanoma are limited, but early detection and surgical excision of thin melanomas is the goal. Changes in mole size or color during pregnancy can be normal, but all changing moles warrant careful examination, and irregular or asymmetric change is suspicious for melanoma.