[Clinical analysis of 25 cases of primary vaginal malignant melanoma]

To investigate the influence of tumor size and different treatment method on the prognosis of primary vaginal malignant melanoma.

The clinical data of 25 patients with primary malignant melanoma of the vagina admitted to our hospital from Dec. 1964 to Oct. 1997 were analysed retrospectively.

The overall 2-year and 5-year survival rate were 21.4% and 5.4%, respectively. The mean survival time for patients with tumor diameter < or = 2 cm was 27.7 months and for patients with tumor > 2 cm, 9.7 months (P < 0.05). The mean survival time was 19.5 months for the 17 cases treated with surgery and 8.3 months for another 8 cases who did not received surgery (P < 0.05). Multi-variate Cox regression with tumor size, surgical treatment, chemotherapy and immunotherapy also showed that tumor diameter and surgery were significant variables statistically for survival time (both P < 0.05).

The prognosis of the primary malignant melanoma of vagina is poor and can be improved if the disease could be diagnosed early and combined modality therapy with emphasis on surgery be given.