title: Pregnancy and melanoma.
abstract: Malignant melanoma is the most common malignancy during pregnancy, and is diagnosed during childbearing age in approximately one-third of women diagnosed with melanoma. The impact of hormonal changes during pregnancy and from iatrogenic hormones on melanoma is controversial. Women undergo immunologic changes during pregnancy that may decrease tumor surveillance. In addition, hormone receptors are found on some melanomas. In spite of these observations, the preponderance of evidence does not support a poorer prognosis for pregnancy-associated melanomas. There is also a lack of evidence that oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy worsens melanoma prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: Marcia S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Driscoll
authors.affiliation: The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Martires
authors.affiliation: The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Amy Kalowitz
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Bieber
authors.affiliation: The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York.
authors.forename: Miriam Keltz
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Pomeranz
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Connecticut, Farmington, Connecticut.
authors.forename: Jane M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Grant-Kels
authors.affiliation: The Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York. Electronic address: jennifer.stein@nyumc.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Stein
mesh_terms: D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015994:Incidence; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D011252:Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D011379:Prognosis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D000096142:Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma
keywords: hormone replacement therapy; melanoma; oral contraceptives; pregnancy; prognosis; review