Chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma during pregnancy

Gynecol Oncol. 1997 Sep;66(3):526-30. doi: 10.1006/gyno.1997.4805.

Abstract

Melanoma during pregnancy represents a difficult problem. Although surgery is a definitive therapy for early-stage disease, rapidly progressive metastatic disease in pregnancy requires a series of more difficult decisions. We report the use of combination chemotherapy with tamoxifen, carmustine, dacarbazine, and cisplatin in a patient with metastatic melanoma during the second trimester of pregnancy. The patient received 2 cycles of chemotherapy prior to delivery of a healthy 1520-g baby girl at 30 weeks gestation. Placental pathology, however, revealed malignant melanoma in the intervillous space and melanin pigment granules in villous Hofbauer cells and synctial trophoblasts. This report also reviews the literature, assessing the importance of pregnancy as a prognostic factor, the effects of metastasis on the products of conception, and the use of chemotherapy in pregnancy. We conclude that combination chemotherapy can be administered in the second trimester of pregnancy for the treatment of rapidly progressive melanoma without interfering with the successful maturation and delivery of an infant of 30 weeks gestation.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / therapeutic use*
  • Disease Progression
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liver Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Liver Neoplasms / secondary
  • Melanoma / drug therapy*
  • Melanoma / secondary*
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications, Neoplastic / drug therapy*
  • Pregnancy Trimester, Second
  • Prognosis
  • Skin Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology
  • Trophoblastic Neoplasms / drug therapy