Melanoma of the Mucous Membranes of the Head and Neck

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Abstract
Melanoma of the mucous membranes comprises approximately 10% of melanomas of the head and neck, and 52 cases are reviewed herein. The oral cavity contained half of the melanomas with the palate and alveolus predominating; 15.4% occurred in the pharynx and larynx. The highest incidence was between ages 50 and 70. At initial examination, only 7.7% had regional metastases, and 15.4% developed them later; 17.3% had disseminated melanoma. The local recurrence rate was 40% in the nasal cavity, 32% in the larynx, and 25% in the oral cavity. In 50%, treatment was by wide local resection or electrodesiccation, in 27% by local resection and radical neck dissection, and in 23% by irradiation, chemotherapy, or nothing. At this analysis, 11% of the patients had been living with melanoma over five years, and 74% were dead of their melanoma. The cure rate was 15%.

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