Gastrointestinal Malignant Melanoma: A Single Center Experience

Abstract

Introduction: Malignant melanoma (MM) is a tumor that develops from skin-derived melanocytes and has a poor prognosis. Extracutaneous involvement of MM is also known, and one of these localizations is in the gastrointestinal tract. The study investigated gastrointestinal MM cases diagnosed as primary or metastatic in terms of their clinicopathological findings and survival rates. Methods: Patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal MM in our clinic between August 2013 and December 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Data including demographics, physical examination, laboratory and imaging findings, surgical procedures, oncological treatment status, presence of metastasis, histopathological features, and mortality were recorded and analyzed. Results: The study group consisted of 9 patients: 4 (44.5%) women and 5 (55.5%) men with a mean age of 57.8 +/- 13.5 (median: 61, range: 40-75). Surgery could not be performed in four patients because of locally advanced or metastatic disease. Radical surgical interventions were performed in 4 (44.4%) patients who were operable. A second surgical intervention was performed in one patient. The mean duration of hospital stay of surgically treated patients was 6.4 +/- 4.3 (median: 5, range: 2-13) days. The mean overall survival in these patients was 40.0 +/- 25.7 (median: 40, range: 12-74) months. Three (33.3%) patients who underwent surgery are still being followed up. Conclusion: In operable cases of histopathologically proven primary or metastatic MM disease, surgical treatment has an important impact on terms of providing local control and improving survival.