[Prognosis of melanoma of the vulva (author's transl)]

From 1930 to 1972, 27 cases of melanoma of the vulva were treated at the National Cancer Institute of Milan. Prognosis was evaluated in relation to the therapy, the anatomical site, the lymphnodes metastases and the classification according to Clark. The median survival was 20 months and the 4-yr survival was 19%. The authors reached the following conclusions: site and T of melanoma have no prognostic value; survival is strictly related to the lymphnodes metastases and to Clark's classification: no N+ patients survived longer than two years while 62% of N-- patients are still alive after four years. No survival after 2 years was observed in IV-V class of Clark while a 54% survival after 4 years was observed in II-III class of Clark. Surgery gives the best results while radiotherapy as single treatment is useless and its role as adjuvant postoperative therapy is still uncertain.