title: Surgical treatment of melanoma in pregnancy: a practical guideline.
abstract: A tumor primarily requiring surgical treatment, newly diagnosed or preexisting melanoma during pregnancy is a clinical rarity. In such cases, the surgeon faces the challenge of having to decide on the appropriate therapeutic course of action. Based on our clinical experience and a review of the literature, we herein provide a guideline on how to practically deal with this rare clinical conundrum. In our experience, pregnant melanoma patients require thorough counseling with respect to their therapeutic options. They naturally tend to put their unborn child first, and are hesitant to consent to necessary surgery despite a potentially life-threatening diagnosis. It is therefore crucial to clearly inform these patients that - based on existing medical experience - pregnancy by itself is no reason to hold off on any type of necessary melanoma surgery. However, various parameters such as preoperative imaging procedures, positioning on the operating table, monitoring, anesthesia, and perioperative medication require certain adjustments in order to comply with this special situation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Crisan
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Nicolai
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Treiber
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kull
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Widschwendter
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Adolph
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology and Allergology, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany.
authors.forename: Lars Alexander
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Schneider
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes; D008545:Melanoma / Q000601:surgery*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000601:surgery*; D011300:Preoperative Care; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Melanoma; anesthesia; lymphoscintigraphy; medication; pregnancy; radiation exposure; sentinel; surgery