What to do if melanoma is discovered during pregnancy

What should I do if I find melanoma during pregnancy? The high-risk group for melanoma is the elderly, but in recent years, pregnant women have also been found to have melanoma. The reasons for this are yet to be studied, but it will bring great pressure to pregnant women, so it is very necessary to improve prevention, and the premise is to understand its early symptoms clearly.

Early symptoms of melanoma: initially, melanin deposition occurs on normal skin, or pigmentation increases in moles, which deepen in color. Then, the lesions continue to expand, become harder, and are accompanied by itchy and painful sensations. Some melanoma lesions are raised, plaque-shaped, and nodular, while others are mushroom-shaped or cauliflower-shaped. When they grow into the subcutaneous tissue, they appear as subcutaneous nodules or lumps. When they spread to the surrounding areas, star-shaped black spots or small nodules appear. Common manifestations are regional lymph node metastasis of melanoma, and even regional lymph node enlargement leads to medical treatment. In the late stage, they are transferred to the lungs, liver, bones, and brain organs through the bloodstream. Most malignant melanomas originate from melanocytes in normal skin. Malignant melanomas are rare in children, but can originate from very large pigmented moles that are present at birth. Halo nevi usually disappear on their own, but in rare cases they can become melanomas. Although melanoma is more likely to occur during pregnancy, pregnancy does not increase the possibility of pigmented moles becoming malignant melanomas. During pregnancy, the shape and size of moles often change.

The following danger signs indicate that a pigmented nevus may become malignant: changes in size, color, redness, whiteness, or blueness, especially the spread of the pigmented area to the surrounding normal skin; changes in surface features, texture and shape; especially inflammatory reactions in the skin around the nevus, which may manifest as bleeding, ulcers, itching, or pain.

Melanoma is more likely to occur during pregnancy, but pregnancy does not increase the possibility of a mole becoming malignant. During pregnancy, the shape and size of a mole often change. The following danger signs indicate that a mole has become malignant: changes in size, color, redness, whiteness, or blueness, especially the spread of the pigmented area to the surrounding normal skin; changes in surface features, texture, and shape; especially inflammation of the skin around the mole, which may cause bleeding, ulcers, itching, or pain.

Pregnant women can ensure the normal development of the fetus' bones by getting more sun exposure. However, due to pregnancy, they are more sensitive to UVA in sunlight that can cause tanning. After exposure to the sun, they will have more pigmentation than other people. For example, existing moles will begin to expand, facial freckles will also become more serious, and some moles may even turn into melanoma. Therefore, while eating more fruits and vegetables with high vitamin C content, pregnant women are best to use sunscreen with physical sunscreen ingredients, because it has fewer chemical ingredients, is very natural, does not contain lead, and has no effect on the fetus.

Pregnant women can choose mild fruits such as apples, cherries, strawberries, peaches, oranges, etc., but be careful not to eat too much, preferably no more than 500 grams a day. Pregnant women with diabetes should reduce the amount by half. It is best to eat fruits between two meals, which can not only supplement vitamins in time, but also will not hinder the intake of other nutrients.

Therefore, pregnant women should pay special attention to physical care during pregnancy, have regular physical examinations, and seek treatment immediately if any abnormality is found. If the situation is serious, it is best to induce labor, which will not cause too much harm to the baby. It is also a better treatment for adults so as not to cause too much psychological burden.