title: Malignant melanoma in pregnancy.
abstract: This article provides a concise overview of issues relating to melanoma and pregnancy, including pregnancy-associated risk and prognosis, and briefly summarizes results from relevant reports that have been published in recent years. The bulk of evidence amassed over the past half century suggests that pregnancy does not significantly affect the risk of developing malignant melanoma. Further, pregnancy does not seem adversely to influence overall survival from the disease. Most studies found no difference in overall survival between pregnant and nonpregnant women with melanoma. Recent reports from large-scale, population-based studies support these conclusions.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, Department of Internal Medicine, MSC-10 5550, 1 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA. cwiggins@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Charles L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Wiggins
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berwick
authors.forename: Julia A Newton
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Bishop
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008548:Melanosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012306:Risk; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*