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. 2023 Dec 13;12(24):7643.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12247643.

Scalp Melanoma: A High-Risk Subset of Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanomas with Distinctive Clinicopathological Features

Rodolfo David Palacios-Diaz  1   2 , Blanca de Unamuno-Bustos  1   2 , Mónica Pozuelo-Ruiz  1   2 , Enrico Giorgio Morales-Tedone  3 , Rosa Ballester-Sánchez  3 , Rafael Botella-Estrada  1   2   4
Affiliations

Scalp Melanoma: A High-Risk Subset of Cutaneous Head and Neck Melanomas with Distinctive Clinicopathological Features

Rodolfo David Palacios-Diaz et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Scalp melanomas (SM) have been previously associated with poor overall and melanoma-specific survival rates. The aim of this study was to describe and compare the clinicopathological characteristics and survival outcomes of SM and non-scalp cutaneous head and neck melanoma (CHNM). An observational multi-center retrospective study was designed based on patients with CHNM followed in two tertiary care hospitals. A hundred and fifty-two patients had CHNM, of which 35 (23%) had SM. In comparison with non-scalp CHNM, SM were more frequently superficial spreading and nodular subtypes, had a thicker Breslow index median (2.1 mm vs. 0.85 mm), and a higher tumor mitotic rate (3 vs. 1 mitosis/mm2) (p < 0.05). SM had a higher risk of recurrence and a higher risk of melanoma-specific death (p < 0.05). In the multivariate analysis, scalp location was the only prognostic factor for recurrence, and tumor mitotic rate was the only prognostic factor for melanoma-specific survival. We encourage routinely examining the scalp in all patients, especially those with chronic sun damage.

Keywords: melanoma; prognosis; sentinel lymph node biopsy; skin cancer.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Kaplan–Meier curve of disease-free survival by anatomic site.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Kaplan–Meier curve of melanoma-specific survival by anatomic site.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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