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Book

Oral Melanoma

Patrick M. Zito  1 , Melina Brizuela  2 , Thomas Mazzoni  3
In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
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Book

Oral Melanoma

Patrick M. Zito et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Oral melanoma is a very rare malignancy that progresses rapidly and proves to be particularly aggressive. This lesion accounts for 0.2% to 8% of all melanomas and 1% to 2% of all oral malignancies. Compared with other melanomas, mucosal melanomas have the lowest percentage of 5-year survival rate, likely due to delayed detection. The clinical aspect of oral melanoma is varied. Still, it usually presents as a black-brown patch, macule, or nodular lesion with different shades of grey, red, purple, or areas of depigmentation. Amelanotic lesions have also been reported. The etiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology are still poorly understood. Biopsy remains the gold standard for diagnosing oral melanomas, and radical surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Additional treatment modalities include radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Patrick Zito declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Melina Brizuela declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Thomas Mazzoni declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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