Melanomas of Unknown Primary May Have a Distinct Molecular Classification to Explain Differences in Patient Outcomes

Excerpt

Although metastatic melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) is relatively uncommon, clinicians who routinely treat melanoma patients will encounter and manage patients with MUP, as approximately 3–8% of all metastatic melanoma patients will present  with MUP. Historically, the management of patients with MUP has been similar to the management of patients with metastatic melanoma and a known primary (MKP). However, biologic observations differentiating MUP and MKP have been consistently reported, including better survival for patients with MUP than for MKP patients with the same corresponding tumor stage.1,2 Furthermore, patients with MUP may have a better response to immune checkpoint therapy than patients with MKP.3 …