title: Outcomes of mucosal melanoma of the head and neck.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mucosal melanoma of the head and neck is a rare disease with limited data available on outcomes; therefore, we reviewed our institutional experience.
  
  
  METHODS
  An institutional database was queried and 38 patients with head and neck mucosal melanoma were identified. Charts were abstracted and local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most patients had T4 disease (86%), although nodes were positive in 11%. En bloc or endoscopic resection was performed on 93%. Adjuvant or definitive radiotherapy to a median dose of 60 Gy was utilized in 90%. Chemotherapy was given in 21%, and 16% received interferon. Three-year LC, PFS and OS were 90%, 48% and 59%, respectively. Median OS was 4.6 years. Site of first failure was distant in 52% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With aggressive therapy median OS was 4.6 years in this cohort. Distant recurrence remains the primary mode of failure. It may be reasonable to include mucosal melanoma patients in trials of systemic agents along with high-risk cutaneous melanomas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Frakes
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Tobin J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Strom
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Arash O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Naghavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Nikhil G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck and Endocrine Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Judith C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: McCaffrey
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck and Endocrine Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck and Endocrine Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Tapan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Padhya
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Jimmy J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Caudell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D059248:Chemoradiotherapy / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: head and neck; mucosal melanoma; outcomes; radiotherapy; targeted agents