Mucosal Melanoma Treatment

Mucosal melanoma is a rare, aggressive form of cancer that occurs mainly in the mouth, pharynx or upper respiratory tract. It is one of the more deadly forms of melanoma and has a very low survival rate. Mucosal melanomas also can occur in the anus, urinary tract or the membranes of the vagina. Since they appear in hidden locations, mucosal melanomas are not usually diagnosed until they are in an advanced form. The 5-year survival rate for people with mucosal melanoma is 20 to 50 percent.

Surgery

• Like other melanomas, the preferred treatment for mucosal melanomas is complete removal. Unfortunately, mucosal melanomas occur in places where excision of all cancerous tissue is almost impossible, especially since they tend to spread rapidly. Any lymph nodes testing positive will be removed as well. It is also important for you to return to your doctor for check-ups since mucosal melanomas have the tendency to return.

Radiotherapy

• For patients with inoperable tumors, radiotherapy can sometimes stall aggressive spreading of the cancer and, in some instances, cure the cancer. Radiotherapy for mucosal melanoma is much more common in Europe, but some doctors now prefer this route in the United States. Some doctors will also suggest you receive radiation therapy following surgery to cut down on the likelihood of a recurrence of the cancer, which is as high as 50 percent of the time.

Other Therapies

• While therapies such as the use of drugs like interferon and vaccine therapy is under investigation for melanomas that occur on the skin, it is unlikely researchers will pursue these therapies for mucosal melanomas because of the rarity of the condition, as it counts for less than 1 percent of all Western melanomas, while it counts for up to 25 percent of all melanomas in Japan. It is difficult for researchers to collate the proper data needed to come up with an effective cure since so few people suffer from the disease.