title: Successful sphincter-saving treatment of anorectal malignant melanoma with electrochemotherapy, local excision and adjuvant brachytherapy.
abstract: Anorectal malignant melanoma is a rare tumor and there is no consensus on whether aggressive or local management is more appropriate. Local sphincter-saving excision has been shown to have a higher recurrence rate than abdominoperineal resection, although there is no long-term survival difference between the two approaches. Therefore, new adjuvant treatment strategies to permit local sphincter-saving excisions are warranted. In our case, a large anorectal malignant melanoma was successfully treated preoperatively by electrochemotherapy with cisplatin that, by reducing the tumor size, enabled sphincter-saving local excision. Brachytherapy was postoperatively delivered to the excision site. Fourteen months after the beginning of treatment, the patient is without signs of local recurrence and is continent.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Marko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Snoj
authors.forename: Zvonimir
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Rudolf
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemazar
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jancar
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001005:Anus Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002945:Cisplatin