Update on primary head and neck mucosal melanoma

Fernando Lõpez, Juan P. Rodrigo, Antonio Cardesa, Asterios Triantafyllou, Kenneth O. Devaney, William M. Mendenhall, Missak Haigentz, Primož Strojan, Phillip K. Pellitteri, Carol R. Bradford, Ashok R. Shaha, Jennifer L. Hunt, Remco De Bree, Robert P. Takes, Alessandra Rinaldo, Alfio Ferlito

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

132 Scopus citations

Abstract

Primary mucosal melanomas (PMMs) of the head and neck are uncommon malignancies that arise mainly in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, followed by the oral cavity. The mainstay of treatment is radical surgical resection followed by adjuvant radiotherapy in selected patients with high-risk features. Multimodality therapy has not been well studied and is not standardized. Adjuvant radiotherapy seems to improve locoregional control but does not improve overall survival (OS). Elective neck dissection is advocated in patients with oral PMM. Systemic therapy should be considered only for patients with metastatic or unresectable locoregional disease. Despite improvements in the field of surgery, radiotherapy, and systemic therapy, patients with PMM still face a very unfavorable prognosis (5-year disease-free survival [DFS] <20%) with high rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis. The present review aims to summarize the current state of knowledge on the molecular biology, pathological diagnosis, and management of this disease.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)147-155
Number of pages9
JournalHead and Neck
Volume38
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2016

Keywords

  • chemotherapy
  • diagnosis
  • head and neck
  • mucosal melanoma
  • outcomes
  • radiotherapy
  • staging system
  • surgery

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Otorhinolaryngology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Update on primary head and neck mucosal melanoma'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this