Treatment and prognosis in sinonasal mucosal melanoma: A retrospective analysis of 65 patients from a single cancer center.

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome in sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SMM). METHODS A retrospective analysis of clinicopathological data from January 1976 to December 2005 was performed. Survival curve, univariate, and multivariate analyses were undertaken. RESULTS Sixty-eight patients with SMM were enrolled; 3 patients refused treatment. The 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates in the remaining 65 cases of SMM were 36.5% and 29.7%, respectively. Patients who underwent surgery had better 3-year and 5-year OS rates than those treated without surgery (40.7% and 34.1% vs 21.4% and 14.3%, respectively), and the same was true for patients treated with and without biotherapy (58.2% and 50.9% vs 30.0% and 23.4%, respectively). Distant metastasis at presentation was associated with a worse prognosis. Those patients managed with multimodality treatment had better OS rates. CONCLUSION The prognosis in SMM is poor, particularly for those with distant metastasis or without surgery. Multimodality treatment may improve survival.