title: Update on primary mucosal melanoma.
abstract: Mucosal melanomas are aggressive cancers of mucosal surfaces with clinical and pathologic characteristics distinct from cutaneous melanomas, warranting different staging systems and treatment approaches. Surgical resection is performed frequently for the primary tumor, although the utility of lymph node surgery and radiation therapy is not established. Therapies targeted against C-KIT activating mutations, identified in many mucosal melanomas, are emerging as promising treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio. Electronic address: Joselin.Tacastacas@UHhospitals.org.
authors.forename: Joselin D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Tacastacas
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology and Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Yoon K
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arbesman
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology and Oncology and Seidman Cancer Center, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Henry B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Koon
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Kord
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Kevin D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.
authors.forename: Meg R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Gerstenblith
mesh_terms: D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology*; D014565:Urogenital Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: C-KIT inhibitors; anorectal mucosal melanoma; clinical characteristics; mucosal melanoma of the head and neck; pathology; treatment; urinary tract melanoma; vulvar and vaginal mucosal melanoma