1. Clinical Patterns of Melanoma in Asians: 11-Year Experience in a Tertiary Referral Center.
- Author
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Chan KK, Chan RC, Ho RS, and Chan JY
- Subjects
- Adolescent, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Anus Neoplasms diagnosis, Anus Neoplasms ethnology, Anus Neoplasms mortality, Anus Neoplasms pathology, Child, Eye Neoplasms diagnosis, Eye Neoplasms ethnology, Eye Neoplasms mortality, Eye Neoplasms pathology, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Head and Neck Neoplasms diagnosis, Head and Neck Neoplasms ethnology, Head and Neck Neoplasms mortality, Head and Neck Neoplasms pathology, Hong Kong epidemiology, Humans, Male, Melanoma ethnology, Melanoma mortality, Melanoma pathology, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Staging, Prognosis, Rectal Neoplasms diagnosis, Rectal Neoplasms ethnology, Rectal Neoplasms mortality, Rectal Neoplasms pathology, Retrospective Studies, Skin Neoplasms diagnosis, Skin Neoplasms ethnology, Skin Neoplasms mortality, Skin Neoplasms pathology, Survival Analysis, Tertiary Care Centers, Urogenital Neoplasms diagnosis, Urogenital Neoplasms ethnology, Urogenital Neoplasms mortality, Urogenital Neoplasms pathology, Young Adult, Asian People, Melanoma diagnosis
- Abstract
Background: Malignant melanoma is a relatively common malignancy in the West, but has a significantly lower incidence in Asians. Stark contrast in clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis has been observed between the 2 populations, yet data are limited. Here, we evaluate 106 Asian patients from a tertiary referral center in Hong Kong during an 11-year period. The purpose of this study was to collectively review all types of melanomas to analyze the clinicopathological characteristics of this poorly understood condition in an Asian population., Methods: A total of 106 patients diagnosed with malignant melanoma from 2002 to 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Demographics, clinical presentations, pathological subtypes, treatments, and survival outcomes were evaluated., Results: Cutaneous melanomas dominated with 46 (43.4%) cases, followed by mucosal (39.6%), ocular (9.4%), and melanomas of unknown primary (7.5%); 43.3% patients presented in stage I, 36.7% in stage II, 18.9% in stage III, and 1.1% in stage IV. Acral lentiginous melanoma was the commonest subtype of cutaneous melanomas (60.9%). When types of melanomas were reviewed collectively, the median overall survival, disease-specific survival, and recurrence-free survival were 37, 45, and 48 months, respectively. Cutaneous melanoma had the best median overall survival of 59 months, followed by ocular melanoma (58 months), mucosal melanoma (18 months), and melanoma of unknown primary (2 months). Similar patterns were observed for disease-specific survival and recurrence-free survival., Conclusions: Melanoma among Asians remains poorly understood. There is a clear distinction in the clinical patterns between Asians and whites and the difference is not solely accounted for by the lower incidence of cutaneous melanoma. Certain subtypes, such as mucosal melanoma and is acral lentiginous melanoma, seemed to have disproportionately high incidences. Further studies are warranted to elucidate these observations. The poor survival outcomes reflected the need for better awareness and understanding of the condition by both the general public and the physicians.
- Published
- 2016
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