title: Melanogenesis affects overall and disease-free survival in patients with stage III and IV melanoma.
abstract: Because melanogenesis can affect immune responses to and chemotherapy and radiotherapy for melanoma, we analyzed overall survival and disease-free survival times in melanoma patients in relation to the degree of tumor pigmentation. Clinicopathologic data were obtained from the Oncology Centre, Prof Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Bydgoszcz, Poland. The overall survival and disease-free survival analyses were performed using the log-rank test, whereas differences between mean/median overall survival and disease-free survival (days) were analyzed using the Student t test. In patients with metastatic disease, those with melanotic melanomas exhibited significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than those with amelanotic lesions. Similarly, melanin-producing lymph node metastases were linked to shorter overall survival and disease-free survival, which was confirmed by a significantly longer mean/median disease-free survival for amelanotic versus melanotic metastases. Melanogenesis shortens overall survival and disease-free survival in patients with metastatic melanoma. Inhibition of melanogenesis appears a rational adjuvant approach to the therapy of metastatic melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tumor Pathology and Pathomorphology, Oncology Centre, Prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, Oncology Centre - Prof. Franciszek Łukaszczyk Memorial Hospital, The Ludwik Rydygier Collegium Medicum, Nicolaus Copernicus University, 85-796 Bydgoszcz, Poland.
authors.forename: Anna A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Brożyna
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jóźwicki
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Carlson
authors.forename: Andrzej T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Slominski
mesh_terms: D015897:Comorbidity; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D008548:Melanosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary*; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Melanin; Melanogenesis; Melanoma; Metastatic melanoma; Survival