Treating moles and melanoma during pregnancy

Source: Dermatology Times, September 2018

The lack of any hard and fast guidelines for best clinical practices means that the management of moles and melanoma during pregnancy is a challenge, says Dr. Marie Aleth Richard reporting at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress last week in Parise.

Dr. Richard, of Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France, said that melanoma is a hormonally responsive tumor. Increased levels of hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and beta endorphin can increase melanocyte stimulation and cause an increase in pigmentation. Some melanomas have progesterone and estrogen receptors. As well as altered hormone levels, pregnancy also induces a state of immunosuppression, which decreases tumor surveillance and allows tumor progression.

Changes in lesions should not be attributed to pregnancy, she said, but any changing lesion should be immediately biopsied and excised.