Clinicopathologic predictors of survival in patients with desmoplastic melanoma. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Desmoplastic melanoma is a unique subtype of melanoma which typically affects older patients who often have comorbidities that can adversely affect survival. We sought to identify melanoma-specific factors influencing survival in patients with desmoplastic melanoma. METHODS: Retrospective review from 1993 to 2011 identified 316 patients with primary desmoplastic melanoma. Clinicopathologic characteristics were correlated with nodal status and outcome. RESULTS: Fifty-five patients (17.4%) had nodal disease: 33 had a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy and 22 developed nodal recurrences (no sentinel lymph node biopsy or false-negative sentinel lymph node biopsy). Nodal disease occurred more often in younger patients and in cases with mixed compared with pure histology (26.7% vs. 14.6%); both of these variables significantly predicted nodal status on multivariable analysis (p<0.05). After a median follow-up of 5.3 years, recurrence developed in 87 patients (27.5%), and 111 deaths occurred. The cause of death was known in 79 cases, with 47 deaths (59.5%) being melanoma-related. On multivariable analysis, Breslow thickness, mitotic rate 1/mm(2) and nodal status significantly predicted melanoma-specific survival (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nodal status predicts melanoma-specific survival in patients with desmoplastic melanoma. However, since patients with desmoplastic melanoma represent an older population, and a considerable proportion of deaths are not melanoma-related (40.5%), comorbidities should be carefully considered in making staging and treatment decisions in this population.

published proceedings

  • PLoS One

altmetric score

  • 10.5

author list (cited authors)

  • Han, D., Han, G., Zhao, X., Rao, N. G., Messina, J. L., Marzban, S. S., ... Zager, J. S.

citation count

  • 26

complete list of authors

  • Han, Dale||Han, Gang||Zhao, Xiuhua||Rao, Nikhil G||Messina, Jane L||Marzban, Suroosh S||Sarnaik, Amod A||Cruse, C Wayne||Sondak, Vernon K||Zager, Jonathan S

editor list (cited editors)

  • Slominski, A. T.

publication date

  • March 2015