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Desmoplastic melanoma of the lip
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Box 441, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
Background:
This retrospective study looks at the prognosis of desmoplastic melanoma of the lip, correlating it with the clinical course, treatment, and patterns of failure.
Method:
Twenty-two patients with desmoplastic melanoma of the lip were seen at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center from 1965 to 1998.
Results:
Three disease groups: (I) untreated tumor (3 patients), (II) excisional scar (10 patients), and (III) locoregional recurrence (9 patients). Group I had two cures and one failure. In group II six had no recurrences, and there were four failures. In group III, all patients failed. Ten patients (45%) had no evidence of disease, of which three (30%) had an initial misdiagnosis. Twelve patients (55%) died of disease or were living with disease, of which eight (67%) had an initial misdiagnosis.
Conclusions:
Desmoplastic melanoma of the lip is often misdiagnosed and, therefore, inappropriately treated with multiple recurrences and poor prognosis. Accurate diagnosis and combined treatment may improve local control and survival.