This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Subsequent pregnancy did not significantly influence melanoma prognosis

Women who became pregnant after being diagnosed with melanoma did not experience a significantly worse prognosis, according to recently published study results.

Researchers measured the effect of subsequent pregnancy on risk of melanoma death or recurrence by searching the Cochrane Database, Medline, Embase, Cinahl and PubMed, using the terms “pregnancy,” “prognosis” and “melanoma.” Studies comparing melanoma outcomes of women of childbearing age who became pregnant after diagnosis and those who did not among were collated. Weighted average method was used to pool individual study effects.

There were 304 articles identified in the literature search, with five studies meeting study criteria. Melanoma death was assessed among women who became pregnant after melanoma diagnosis in all five study, with a mean or median follow-up of 5-20 years. Recurrence rates of localized melanoma were measured in two of the studies.

Subsequent pregnancy did not have a significant effect on melanoma mortality after 11-20 years of follow-up (pooled HR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.60-1.09), “and no significant differences in melanoma recurrence,” the researchers wrote.

Patients with all stages of melanoma were included in one study.

“The findings of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that there is no significant influence of a subsequent pregnancy on the outcome of the previous melanoma,” the researchers concluded. “However, in view of the wide CI around the pooled estimate for risk of melanoma death, some ill effects of a subsequent pregnancy cannot yet be ruled out. Relevant data are sparse, suggesting that cautionary approach is warranted regarding childbearing advice to melanoma survivors.” – By Bruce Thiel

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.