Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019 Apr;10(4):950-956.
doi: 10.1111/1759-7714.13034. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: A retrospective analysis of clinical features, management, and survival of 76 patients

Xuan Wang  1 , Yan Kong  1 , Zhihong Chi  1 , Xinan Sheng  1 , Chuanliang Cui  1 , Lili Mao  1 , Bin Lian  1 , Bixia Tang  1 , Xieqiao Yan  1 , Lu Si  1 , Jun Guo  1
Affiliations

Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: A retrospective analysis of clinical features, management, and survival of 76 patients

Xuan Wang et al. Thorac Cancer. 2019 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus (PMME) is rare. Patients with advanced melanoma of esophageal origin tend to have lower response rates to traditional therapies than those with other melanomas. We report our experience of 12 patients with PMME administered PD-1 inhibitors.

Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 76 patients with PMME who attended Peking University Cancer Hospital between January 2008 and September 2017. Objective response rates (ORRs) and progression-free survival (PFS) were assessed.

Results: The 76 PMMEs were classified as unresectable or metastatic. The patients were allocated to three cohorts according to their treatment: chemotherapy (C: 46 patients), targeted therapy (T: 2 patients), and PD-1 inhibitors (IT: 12 patients). The PFS in the C cohort was three months with a limited ORR of 10.9%. In the IT cohort, seven patients (75.0%) achieved a partial response and three had stable disease for 4+ months. The median PFS in the IT cohort was not reached and the mean was 15.6 months, which was much longer than in cohort C (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Although this cohort of patients was small, it is the largest series investigated thus far. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the outcomes of advanced PMMEs treated with PD-1 inhibitors. Dramatic responses can occur in patients with advanced PMMEs.

Keywords: Adjuvant therapy; immunotherapy; melanoma of esophagus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Recurrence‐free survival (RFS) in adjuvant chemotherapy and control cohorts.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Progression‐free survival (PFS) in anti‐PD‐1 and chemotherapy cohorts.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Overall survival (OS) in anti‐PD‐1 and chemotherapy cohorts.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bisceglia M, Perri F, Tucci A et al. Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus: A clinicopathologic study of a case with comprehensive literature review. Adv Anat Pathol 2011; 18: 235–52. - PubMed
    1. Thrift AP. The epidemic of oesophageal carcinoma: Where are we now? Cancer Epidemiol 2016; 41: 88–95. - PubMed
    1. Archer HA, Owen WJ. Primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus. Dis Esophagus 2000; 13: 320–3. - PubMed
    1. Kido T, Morishima H, Nakahara M et al. Early stage primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus. Gastrointest Endosc 2000; 51: 90–1. - PubMed
    1. Caldwell CB, Bains MS, Burt M. Unusual malignant neoplasms of the esophagus: Oat cell carcinoma, melanoma, and sarcoma. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 1991; 101: 100–7. - PubMed

MeSH terms

Substances