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Meta-Analysis
. 2021 Jan;43(1):323-333.
doi: 10.1002/hed.26470. Epub 2020 Sep 14.

The effectiveness of radiotherapy in the treatment of head and neck mucosal melanoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Marc C Grant-Freemantle  1 , Billy Lane O'Neill  2 , Anthony James P Clover  1   2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The effectiveness of radiotherapy in the treatment of head and neck mucosal melanoma: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Marc C Grant-Freemantle et al. Head Neck. 2021 Jan.

Abstract

Introduction: Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare condition with a poor prognosis. Surgery is the corner stone of treatment, however, radiotherapy has been commonly employed as a treatment strategy and recent studies suggesting that survival outcomes may be improving are emerging.

Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing risk ratios of radiotherapy and surgery and radiotherapy (SRT) with surgery for 5-year overall survival, local recurrence and distant metastasis in head and neck mucosal melanoma (HNMM).

Results: SRT has a lower risk of death compared to surgery [RR 0.93 [95% CI = 0.87, 0.98] (P = .01)] and a reduced risk of local recurrence [RR 0.63 [95% CI = 0.48, 0.82] (P = .005)]. SRT has no effect on distant metastasis. Radiotherapy has worse survival when compared to surgery [RR 1.2 [95% CI = 1.03, 1.33] (P = .0006)].

Conclusions: SRT confers a moderate survival advantage in HNMM compared to surgery. This is most likely secondary to reduced local recurrence.

Keywords: endoscopic resection; head and neck; laryngeal melanoma; mucosal melanoma; oral melanoma; radiotherapy; sinonasal melanoma; surgery.

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References

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