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Current Oncology Reports
Published in: Current Oncology Reports 5/2012

01-10-2012 | Melanoma (K Margolin, Section Editor)

Mucosal Melanoma: Pathogenesis, Clinical Behavior, and Management

Authors: Michael A. Postow, Omid Hamid, Richard D. Carvajal

Published in: Current Oncology Reports | Issue 5/2012

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Abstract

Mucosal melanoma represents a rare subtype of melanoma with distinct biological, clinical, and management considerations. Knowledge regarding optimal treatment strategies for mucosal melanoma is limited and based primarily upon small case series and single-institution, retrospective analyses. Surgery remains the standard of care for loco-regional management, but the common presence of multifocal disease and the high rate of distant recurrence should be considered before pursuing aggressive surgical interventions associated with inherent significant morbidity. The role of sentinel lymph node biopsy and lymph node dissection remains unclear. Radiotherapy has not been shown to improve overall survival but may reduce the rate of local recurrence. Significant advances in the treatment of metastatic disease have been made with novel immunotherapeutic agents, the discovery of KIT and BRAF mutations and the development of targeted agents that inhibit these oncogenic pathways.
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Metadata
Title
Mucosal Melanoma: Pathogenesis, Clinical Behavior, and Management
Authors
Michael A. Postow
Omid Hamid
Richard D. Carvajal
Publication date
01-10-2012
Publisher
Current Science Inc.
Published in
Current Oncology Reports / Issue 5/2012
Print ISSN: 1523-3790
Electronic ISSN: 1534-6269
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-012-0244-x

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