Despite advances in medical science and technology, pregnancy and giving birth are still both dangerous and life threatening endeavours. Last year in Brazil, women have been warned against getting pregnant for the risk of giving birth to babies with microcephaly due to the Zika virus pandemic. More recently, a study revealed a new threat for women who are bringing forth life.
Just this week, doctors from the Cleveland Clinic announced the results of their recent research. According to their findings, women who are pregnant or have given birth in the past year are more likely to die should they contract skin melanoma than women who are not pregnant.. These women are five times more likely to succumb to this specific type of cancer and are seven times more susceptible to experience metastasis which is the spreading of the cancer to other parts of the body.
The scientists were quick to clarify however that the study doesn't claim that pregnant women are more likely to get melanoma. However, their research is evidence that skin cancer tends to be more vicious in women carrying a child than those who are not.
The study was participated by 462 women suffering from melanoma - all of which are under 50. 1 of them have been diagnosed with the cancer while they were with child or within the year of giving birth. 20 percent of the test group who were pregnant died from melanoma, while only 10 percent of the women who were not pregnant did.
The doctors who were part of the study warn for women to be on the look out for signs of susceptibility to melanoma. Usually, women who have many moles, have family history of skin cancer and those who have had heavy exposure to the sun are more at risk to develop this kind of cancer.
