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
Review
. 2022 Aug 5;27(8):703-710.
doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyac091.

Management of Acral and Mucosal Melanoma: Medical Oncology Perspective

Seungyeon Jung  1 , Douglas B Johnson  2
Affiliations
Review

Management of Acral and Mucosal Melanoma: Medical Oncology Perspective

Seungyeon Jung et al. Oncologist. .

Abstract

Acral and mucosal melanomas (MM) are rare subtypes of melanoma that are biologically and clinically distinct from cutaneous melanoma. Despite the progress in the treatment of cutaneous melanomas with the development of targeted and immune therapies, the therapeutic options for these less common subtypes remain limited. Difficulties in early diagnosis, the aggressive nature of the disease, and the frequently occult sites of origin have also contributed to the poor prognosis associated with acral and MM, with substantially worse long-term prognosis. The rarity of these subtypes has posed significant barriers to better understanding their biological features and investigating novel therapies. Consequently, establishing standardized treatment guidelines has been a challenge. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the current knowledge regarding acral and MM, focusing on their epidemiology, genetic backgrounds, and unique clinical characteristics. Further discussion centers around the management of primary and advanced disease and the role of emerging targeted and immune therapies for these subtypes, specifically focusing on issues relevant to medical oncologists.

Keywords: KIT; BRAF; CTLA-4; PD-1; PD-L1; acral melanoma; immunotherapy; mucosal melanoma; targeted therapy.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Wolchok JD, Chiarion-Sileni V, Gonzalez R, Grob J-J, Rutkowski P, Lao CD, et al. . Long-term outcomes with nivolumab plus ipilimumab or nivolumab alone versus ipilimumab in patients with advanced melanoma. J Clin Oncol. 2022;40(2):127-137. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Goydos JS, Shoen SL.. Acral lentiginous melanoma. Cancer Treat Res. 2016;167:321-329. - PubMed
    1. Zell JA, Cinar P, Mobasher M, et al. . Survival for patients with invasive cutaneous melanoma among ethnic groups: the effects of socioeconomic status and treatment. J Clin Oncol. 2008;26(1):66-75. 10.1200/jco.2007.12.3604. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Spencer KR, Mehnert JM.. Mucosal melanoma: epidemiology, biology and treatment. Cancer Treat Res. 2016;167:295-320. - PubMed
    1. Bradford PT, Goldstein AM, McMaster ML, Tucker MA.. Acral lentiginous melanoma: incidence and survival patterns in the United States, 1986-2005. Arch Dermatol. 2009;145(4):427-434. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types