Skin cancer is among the scariest diseases feared in the United States, and according to a recent study, it is even more dangerous for pregnant women.
Melanoma is the type of skin cancer and research suggests that women who are below the age of 50 diagnosed with the disease are most likely to have the cancer spread to other parts of their body.
This is a serious issue because the tumors could spread to vital organs and even tissues. Reuters reported that treatment is still possible, but women who were pregnant and after a year of giving birth are more likely to experience for the cancer to recur even when they have undergone treatment. Not to scare anyone, but the possibility of this case being fatal is also high.
The research is backed up by Dr. Jeffrey Farma, co-director of the cancer program at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. About 462 women's medical records were the basis of this study and according to Farma, "This study demonstrated that women who are diagnosed with melanoma during pregnancy or in the post-gestation period have higher risk melanomas."
Dr. Brian Gastman, the director of melanoma surgery at Cleveland Clinic has also shed light about the matter. He stated that this happens to pregnant women with melanoma because of the possibility that hormone fluctuations could have contributed to the case. It is also during pregnancy when the immune system could be suppressed, which then helps in the development of tumors.
The website NLM also published this recent findings about the said subject and confirmed that due pregnancy hormones are mostly the ones to blame in fueling skin cancer. Cancer cells metastasize faster during pregnancy, which is why it is important for women who are planning to get pregnant to be more aware of this information.
