Mucosal Melanoma Clinical Management and Prognostic Implications: A Retrospective Cohort Study

• Published in: Cancers 2024-01, Vol.16 (1), p.227
• Main Authors: Clavero-Rovira, Laia, Gómez-Tomás, Álvaro, Bassas-Freixas, Patricia, Bodet, Domingo, Ferrer, Berta, Hernández-Losa, Javier, Muñoz-Couselo, Eva, Pérez-Benavente, Assumpció, García-Patos, Vicente, Ferrándiz-Pulido, Carla
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Anorectal; c-Kit protein; Care and treatment; Cohort analysis; CTLA-4 protein; Development and progression; Diagnosis; Disease management; Epidemiology; Head and neck; Immunotherapy; Ipilimumab; Lymph nodes; Lymphatic system; Medical prognosis; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Melanoma; Metastases; Metastasis; Mucosa; Mutants; Mutation; Patients; PD-1 protein; Prognosis; Radiation therapy; Radiotherapy; Smoking; Standardization; Survival; Tomography; Tumors
• ISSN: 2072-6694; 2072-6694
• DOI: 10.3390/cancers16010227

Mucosal melanoma (MM) is an uncommon melanoma subtype affecting mucosal surfaces of the head and neck, anorectal region, and vulvovaginal area. We aimed to present our experience at a tertiary-level hospital regarding MM diagnosis, management, monitoring of progression, mutations, and outcome predictors. We performed a registry-based cohort study including MM cases diagnosed from 2012 to 2022 and retrospectively characterized somatic mutations on , and We employed Kaplan-Meier curves, log-rank tests, and Cox regression analysis to explore prognostic factors and survival outcomes in a cohort of 35 patients, mainly women (63%) with a median age of 70 years. Predominantly, MM occurred in the vulvovaginal region (48.6%). At diagnosis, 28.6% had lymph node involvement, and 31.4% also had distant metastasis. Mutations in and were identified in 3/35 (9%) and 2/6 patients (33%), respectively. Surgery was performed in 71.4% of patients, and most received systemic treatment (65.7%). Lower disease stage, thinner Breslow depth, and surgical resection were associated with improved overall survival. Notably, age, sex, radiotherapy, and mutant status did not affect survival. Standard management typically involves immunotherapy. Cases with or mutations may be considered for targeted therapies. Unfortunately, MM prognosis remains unfavorable, with a less than 50% survival rate at 2 years.