title: Role of adjuvant chemotherapy in malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck.
abstract: The objective of this study was to analyze the role of adjuvant chemotherapy and prognostic factors in malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck (HNMM). Thirty-two patients with mucosal melanoma of the head and neck who received local treatment with or without adjuvant chemotherapy were reviewed. Clinicopathologic parameters including anatomic sites, gender, age (60 vs.>60years), stage, level of invasion, p53 and MDM2 [murine double minute 2] expressions, performance status, and adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated. The patients' median age was 62years, and 16 (50%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Expressions of p53 and MDM2 were demonstrated in six of 24 and three of 26 cases, respectively. Predictors of poor survival according to univariate analysis were level of invasion and anatomic location of the primary tumor. Patients who received adjuvant chemotherapy had prolonged survival (p=0.002), which was also shown in the multivariate Cox regression model (HR, 0.24; p=0.014). Our analysis suggests a significant role of adjuvant chemotherapy and different patterns of p53 and MDM2 expression in HNMM relative to cutaneous melanomas. However, since this study is retrospective and observational, with a small sample size, further studies are needed to confirm the definitive role of adjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant mucosal melanoma of the head and neck.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea Cancer Center Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Heui June
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Im Ii
authors.initials: II
authors.lastname: Na
authors.forename: Yeon Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Soo Youn
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Byeong Cheol
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Guk Haeng
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Soo
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Koh
authors.forename: Yong Sik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Yoon Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Yong Kack
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Hye Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Baek-Yeol
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Ryoo
authors.forename: Sung Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents