How long can you live with mucosal melanoma?
Mucosal melanoma is a disease with a very poor prognosis and most patients will develop incurable metastatic disease, irrespective of surgical excision. 5-year survival rates may be as low as 14%, compared with 90% for cutaneous melanoma [4,5] when all cases, regardless of stage are combined.
Where does mucosal melanoma spread?
Most mucosal melanoma cases start in the lining of the head, neck, anus, vagina or vulva. Cases inside the gastrointestinal tract are less prevalent. The disease may be called invasive if it’s spread deep into the tissue and metastatic if it’s spread to distant parts of the body, such as the liver or lungs.
Is mucosal melanoma aggressive?
Mucosal melanoma is considered an aggressive form of melanoma. It’s considered aggressive because it’s usually not discovered until it’s already in an advanced stage. By the time it enters the advanced stages, the treatment options are limited. It also usually moves into metastasis soon after diagnosis.
How does mucosal melanoma form?
Mucosal melanomas occur on your mucus membranes, which are tucked away inside your nose, mouth, anus, and vagina. Most melanomas are associated with sun exposure. Sun causes damage to cells, which can lead to cancer. Protecting your skin from sun exposure can reduce your risk of most types of melanomas.
What is a mucosal melanoma?
Mucosal melanoma (MM) is a rare melanoma subtype that originates from melanocytes within sun-protected mucous membranes. Compared with cutaneous melanoma (CM), MM has worse prognosis and lacks effective treatment options.
What is a mucosal?
Mucosa is moist tissue that lines certain parts of the inside of your body. It is in your: Nose. Mouth. Lungs.
What is mucosal Melanosis?
Melanosis is a term that has been used to describe pigmented macules and patches that develop on the mucosa of the lips, mouth, genitalia, and conjunctiva. These enigmatic conditions pursue a benign course but clinically may stimulate early malignant melanoma.
Is mucosal melanoma cutaneous melanoma?
About 90% of melanoma cases are cutaneous melanoma (CM) mainly induced by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light (1). Non-cutaneous subtypes include uveal melanoma (UM) and mucosal melanoma (MM).
What is mucosal melanoma?
Where is mucosa located?
The mucosa is the innermost layer of the GI tract. It is made up of three layers: the epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosae. The mucosa surrounds the lumen, or open space within the digestive tube.
What causes mucosal melanosis?
Multiple causes are known, and they may range from simple iatrogenic mechanisms, such as implantation of dental amalgam, to complex medical disorders, such as Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) and Addison disease. Local irritants, such as smoking, may also result in melanosis of varying degrees.
What color is oral mucosa?
Oral mucosa is generally pink in colour. Highly keratinized, firm, stippled and pale masticatory mucosa cover the hard palate, dorsal surface of tongue, and gingiva. Thin, less keratinized and more pinkish non-masticatory mucosa cover the remaining intra-oral structures.
What is stage III melanoma of the skin?
Stage III melanoma, also known as regional melanoma, has metastasized (spread) to nearby lymph nodes, lymph vessels, or skin. Lymph nodes are an important part of the lymphatic system, which is a vast network of tissues and organs that helps rid the body of waste, toxins, and other unwanted materials.
How is melanoma staged?
About Staging: Melanoma staging is based on the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system. The system assigns a stage based on tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) scores as well as additional prognostic factors. The goal is that melanomas of the same stage will have similar characteristics, treatment options, and outcomes.
What are the stages and survival rates of mucosal melanoma?
The staging and survival rates vary based on the location of the mucosal melanoma. The locations for disease stages and survival rates are broken down into three major types: head and neck, vulvar and vaginal, and anorectal mucosal melanoma.
What is the TNM score for Stage 3 melanoma?
Stage III melanoma does not, by definition, have distant metastasis, so a Stage III patient will be M0—no evidence of distant metastasis. Look at your most recent pathology report and find your TNM score.