Melanoma Is the Most Prevalent Cancer During Pregnancy

Being pregnant is hard enough, but imagine being diagnosed with cancer at the same time.

Melanoma is the most prevalent cancer during pregnancy, representing 31% of all gestational cancers—and that number is increasing.

According to surgical oncologist Dr. Vadim Gushchin, who leads The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center at Mercy, pregnancy usually happens at a younger age, as does melanoma. Dr. Gushchin noted that pregnancy does not speed up melanoma, nor does it worsen the prognosis.

Surgery is the most common treatment for melanoma patients, and eight out of 10 patients will be fine if treated with surgery alone, Dr. Gushchin explained.

“It's a good idea to check with the dermatologist about pigmented lesions, stuff like that. Melanoma may accentuate pigmented lesions. The pigmentation that happens is a normal pregnancy sign, as you might know. But it’s a good idea to establish the baseline,” Dr. Gushchin said.

Gushchin said people can easily look for the ABCs of melanoma themselves:

• A – Asymmetry: Look for moles or lesions with an irregular shape.
• B – Border: Melanoma borders may be scalloped, notched or poorly defined.
• C – Color: Melanoma can appear in various colors.
• D – Diameter: Melanomas are usually larger than the size of a pencil eraser.
• E – Evolving: Pay attention to changes in a mole or lesion over time.

According to Dr. Robert Atlas, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Mercy, while it is rare for him to see a pregnant woman get diagnosed with melanoma, it does happen.

“There’s a patient recently who I had who, before she got pregnant, had a very special type of melanoma that you don't typically see involve the eye. And so, you know, it’s one of those cancers that is concerning to us as obstetricians because it can metastasize to the fetus,” Dr. Atlas said.

Most cancers do not metastasize to the fetus, Dr. Atlas explained, adding that fetal growth can be affected by chemotherapy, if that is the patient’s treatment option.

However, like Dr. Gushchin, Dr. Atlas agrees that most melanoma patients who are pregnant can be treated with surgery, and that everyone should undergo a yearly skin evaluation.

View Mercy surgical oncologist Dr. Gushchin and Mercy OB/GYN Dr. Robert Atlas’ interviews regarding melanoma during pregnancy.