A clinico pathological study of malignant melanoma

INTRODUCTION: A malignant melanoma (MM) is a melanocyte-derived cancer, which most often is found in the skin (cutaneous malignant melanoma, CMM) but can be found in all organs that harbour melanocytes, e.g. the ears, the eyes, the mucosal membranes (nose, oral cavity, anorectal mucosa and the genitourinary mucosa), the central nervous system (leptomeningeal melanoma) and in the gastrointestinal tract. It is the most malignant skin cancer type and causes the majority of skin cancer related deaths. CMM is among the most common types of cancer in young adults. AIM OF THE STUDY: 1. To know the incidence of malignant melanoma in our Hospital. 2. To study the various modes of presentation of malignant Melanoma. 3. To assess the prognostic factors in order of importance of survival such as lymph node status, ulceration and Thickness. 4. To evaluate the various treatment modalities and their Complications, prognosis of malignant melanoma in our Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cases admitted in all surgical units of department of general surgery, dermatology department, plastic surgery department and oncology department in Stanley government hospital between may 2011 to December 2013 were taken in a random fashion for this study. This group of 30 patients were aged between 30 to72 years with a mean age of 50 yrs. Of these 18 were male and 12 female. RESULTS: These 30 patients were divided into two main group. Group A were curative resection was planned and Group B were palliative treatment was planned. GROUP A: Included 24 patients for curative resection - no distant visceral metastasis. - no local fixity to surrounding important structures. - no fixed regional lymphnode. GROUP B: Included 6 patients for palliative treatment - Palliative resection (2 patients). - Palliative chemotherapy (2 patients). - Palliative radiotherapy (3 patients). CONCLUSION: 1. Mean age at presentation was 50 years. 2. 46.6% of patients had stage 3 disease at presentation. 3. Most of the cases in this series are extremities melanoma. 4. Curative wide local excision was possible in 63.3% of cases. 5. Blackish patches, ulcer and growth were the commonest complaints. 6. Prognosis of the patients in my study better in patients without ulceration and lymph node involvement