Kiuru M, Li Q, Zhu G, Terrell JR, Beroukhim K, Maverakis E, Keegan THM. Melanoma in women of childbearing age and in pregnancy in California, 1994-2015: a population-based cohort study.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2022;
36:2025-2035. [PMID:
35870141 PMCID:
PMC9560982 DOI:
10.1111/jdv.18458]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND
Melanoma is one of the most common malignancies during pregnancy. There is debate regarding the impact of pregnancy on the prognosis of melanoma. Recent large population-based studies from the United States are lacking.
OBJECTIVES
To determine the characteristics and survival of women with pregnancy-associated melanoma.
METHODS
This population-based, retrospective cohort study used California Cancer Registry data linked with state-wide hospitalization and ambulatory surgery data to identify 15-44-year-old female patients diagnosed with melanoma in 1994-2015, including pregnant patients. Multivariable logistic regression compared demographic and clinical characteristics between pregnant and non-pregnant women with melanoma. Multivariable cox proportional hazards regression models assessed melanoma-specific and overall survival.
RESULTS
We identified 13 108 patients, of which 1406 were pregnant. Pregnancy-associated melanoma was more frequent in Hispanic compared to non-Hispanic White women. Melanoma occurring post-partum was associated with greater tumour thickness (2.01-4.00 vs. 0.01-1.00 mm, odds ratio 1.75, 95% confidence interval: 1.03-2.98). There were otherwise no significant differences between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Worse survival was associated with Asian, Black and Native American race/ethnicity (vs. non-Hispanic White), lower neighbourhood socio-economic status, public insurance, tumour site, greater tumour thickness and lymph node involvement, but not pregnancy.
CONCLUSIONS
Melanoma occurring post-partum was associated with greater tumour thickness, but pregnancy status did not affect survival after melanoma. Race/ethnicity, socio-economic status and health insurance impacted survival, emphasizing the importance of reducing health disparities.
Collapse