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.

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.