Current Oncology (Jan 2024)

Primary Mucosal Melanoma: Clinical Experience from a Single Italian Center

  • Rosa Falcone,
  • Sofia Verkhovskaia,
  • Francesca Romana Di Pietro,
  • Giulia Poti,
  • Tonia Samela,
  • Maria Luigia Carbone,
  • Maria Francesca Morelli,
  • Albina Rita Zappalà,
  • Zorika Christiana di Rocco,
  • Roberto Morese,
  • Gabriele Piesco,
  • Paolo Marchetti,
  • Cristina Maria Failla,
  • Federica De Galitiis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31010042
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 31, no. 1
pp. 588 – 597

Abstract

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(1) Background: Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare tumor, accounting for about 1% of all diagnosed melanomas. The etiology and pathogenesis of this tumor are unknown. It is characterized by an aggressive phenotype with poor prognosis and a low response rate to approved treatments. (2) Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, treatments and outcomes of patients diagnosed with MM from different sub-sites (head and neck, gynecological and gastro-intestinal region) between 2013 and 2023 at our Institute. Survival times were estimated with the Kaplan–Meier method. Multivariate Cox regression was used to test the independence of significant factors in univariate analysis. (3) Results: Twenty-five patients were included in this study; the disease was equally distributed among females and males. The median age at diagnosis was 74 years old. The majority had MM originating from the head and neck (56%), particularly from the nasal cavity. BRAF V600 mutations were detected in 16% of the study population, limited to gastro-intestinal and gynecological MM. At diagnosis, at least half the patients (52%) had the disease located also at distant sites. The median overall survival (OS) in the whole study population was 22 months, with a longer OS for patients diagnosed at an early stage (38 months, p Conclusions: The overall survival of MM from different sub-sites treated at our Italian Institution was 22 months, with better outcomes for early-stage disease and head and neck MM. Performing radiotherapy may have a protective effect on OS for head and neck MM. New treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve the outcome in this disease.

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