Publications (2)4.37 Total impact
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Article: Malignant melanoma and pregnancy.
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ABSTRACT: The occurrence of cancer in pregnant women is not a common phenomenon and the real incidence of malignant melanoma during this period is unknown. Many authors reported a poor prognosis in pregnant women with melanoma compared with non-pregnant women's tumour. Several retrospective reviews reported a worsened prognosis in pregnant women with melanoma and found that progesterone and oestrogen receptors can be detected in melanoma tissue. Other data are in conflict with these opinions; several studies demonstrated that the timing of the disease diagnosis during pregnancy did not appear to influence the risk of mortality. In our report, we reviewed data on women with malignant melanoma who were diagnosed during pregnancy in our institute from 1991 to 2000. We have considered the following parameters: age at diagnosis, histological type and tumour thickness, stage of disease and surgical management and we have compared the clinical and biological behaviour of these melanomas with melanoma in non-pregnant women observed in the same period and in a follow-up of 5 years. In our study, there is no significant difference in outcome and survival rate between pregnant and non-pregnant women with melanoma. During pregnancy, melanocytic skin lesions show a transient modification of dermoscopic pattern; consequently, a close follow-up of pigmented lesions, both clinical and instrumental, is very important during pregnancy and care must be taken in revealing the presence of other risk factors for melanoma.Melanoma Research 01/2007; 16(6):497-500. · 2.19 Impact Factor -
Article: Relationship between cause of referral and diagnostic outcome in pigmented lesion clinics: a multicentre survey of the Italian Multidisciplinary Group on Melanoma (GIPMe).
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ABSTRACT: Pigmented lesion clinics (PLCs) are permanent units to which subjects presenting with suspicious pigmented skin lesions can be rapidly referred and which can provide a prompt response to an individual's concern about melanoma. However, little is known about the melanoma detection rate in these clinics, in particular with regard to intermediate risk populations. We report a survey involving more than 1000 subjects consecutively referred by family doctors to six Italian PLCs. Using a histological diagnosis of melanoma as the endpoint, the pooled melanoma detection rate at these PLCs was 1.5% (one melanoma for diagnosed every 64 subjects examined), and the ratio between the number of melanomas and benign lesions excised for diagnostic verification was 1: 5.8 (16 melanomas and 93 benign lesions). Almost all the melanomas (15 out of 16) were detected in subjects who had requested referral for a specific doubtful lesion (group A) or for the presence of melanoma risk factors (previous melanoma, large number of common and atypical naevi, family history of melanoma) (group B). Only one melanoma was detected amongst the 418 subjects seeking consultation for concern about their moles (group C) (P = 0.004). The positive and negative predictive values of the referral groups A and B combined were 2.5% and 99.7%, respectively. Since the probability of detecting a melanoma in subjects referred only for reassurance about their moles, which nevertheless represented 43% of the subjects examined, is very low, an optimized role for PLCs in melanoma prevention would be to limit consultation to subjects who present for examination of a specific lesion or who have one or more risk factors for melanoma.Melanoma Research 05/2003; 13(2):207-11. · 2.19 Impact Factor
