title: Malignant melanoma of the anorectum: report of four cases.
abstract: Four cases of anorectal malignant melanoma are reported in this paper. All patients underwent an abdominoperineal resection with lymph node dissection for a curative operation and received postoperative chemotherapy with dacarbazine, ranimustine, and vincristine, either with or without interferon-beta. One of these patients has been observed for more than 6 years postoperatively without any evidence of recurrence. The other three patients had advanced diseases at the time of diagnosis, and died within 3 years after operation. The prognosis of anorectal malignant melanoma is considered to be directly related to tumor size and depth. Therefore, a staging system and treatments based on the tumor size and depth (or thickness) are needed.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Surgery, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Fumitake
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hata
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yasoshima
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Honma
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Hidefumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimori
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kutomi
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Ikuo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Oikawa
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tarumi
authors.forename: Yuuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishiyama
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirata
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*