Abstract
Primary malignant melanoma of the head and neck is a rare disease that has an extremely poor prognosis. Thirteen patients with malignant melanoma of the head and neck treated at our hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Eight patients who were treated with surgery demonstrated a 3-year locoregional control rate of 73%. The 3-year overall survival rate for all patients was 31%. The rate of distant metastases in the first medical examination was 38%, and the 3-year cumulative rate of distant metastases was 72%. We analyzed the relationship between prognosis and interval from the day of incisional biopsy to the day of initial treatment. No statistically significant differences were observed, but there was a tendency that a longer interval between incision biopsy and the start of treatment led to deterioration of locoregional control rate, overall survival rate, median survival term, and rate of distant metastases.
