title: Retrospective multicenter evaluation of patients diagnosed with mucosal melanoma: a study of Anatolian Society of Medical Oncology.
abstract: Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare type of cancer that differs significantly from cutaneous melanoma. In this study, we aimed to evaluate clinical and demographical characteristics, prognoses and factors influencing survival, treatment alternatives, and features of different subtypes of the patients. The patients were followed up with and treated in different centers due to their diagnoses of MM. We retrospectively analyzed data of 107 patients who were diagnosed with MM in 14 different institutions in Turkey. The mean age of the patients was 64.5 years. Of the patients, 47 % were female and 53 % were male. The median overall survival (OS) was 17 months, and the mean follow-up duration was 27 months. The 2-year survival rate was 42 %, and the 5-year survival rate was 23 %. The best survival rate appeared in those patients with MM in the head-neck region (median survival rate was 27 months, P = 0.034). The most common anatomical site was the head-neck region. In a univariate analysis, variables including age ≥65 years, the anatomical site of the primary lesion other than head and neck region, the metastatic stage of the disease, high levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) of ≥1 were found to be associated with poor survival (P < 0.05). However, in a multivariate analysis, only advanced stage disease (HR = 2.70; 95 % CI, 1.64-4.45; P = 0.000) and high LDH levels (HR = 2.31; 95 % CI, 1.40-3.80; P = 0.001) were determined to be adverse prognostic variables. Primary MM presents a more aggressive behavior and offers a poorer prognosis compared to cutaneous melanoma. Because the disease is rarely seen, is heterogeneous, and lacks randomized studies, issues concerning optimal treatment approaches and management and clinical characteristics of the disease have not been clarified yet.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. ozlembalvan@yahoo.com.|Department of Medical Oncology, Pendik Education and Research Hospital, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. ozlembalvan@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Ozlem
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ercelep
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Turkan Ozturk
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Topcu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Izmir Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ibrahim Vedat
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Bayoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Yurtaslan Oncology Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Siyar
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ekinci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Pendik Education and Research Hospital, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sinan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koca
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Halil
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kavgaci
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Melike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozcelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Izmir Ataturk Education and Research Hospital, Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alacacioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Trakya University, Edirne, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sernaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Uzunoglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oktay
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Bursa Ali Osman Sonmez Oncology Hospital, Bursa, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arife
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ulas
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Malatya Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Asude
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aksoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Burcu Yapar
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Taskoylu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozge
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gumussay
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sebnem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yaman
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Afyon Kocatepe University, Afyon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mukremin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uysal
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Kartal Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Dincer
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Bezmi Alem Vakif University, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gumus
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Anorectal; Genitourinary; Head and neck; Mucosal melanoma