Anorectal melanoma. An update

Anorectal melanoma is an uncommon and aggressive disease. Because the patients often present with non specific complaints, a high clinical suspicion is important to avoid a delayed diagnosis. Patients undergoing radical surgery have no significant survival difference compared to those undergoing wide local excision. Abdominoperineal resection should be reserved for selected patients in whom local excision is not technically possible or cannot obtain a clear margin. The indiscriminate use of groin dissection is not advisable in anorectal melanoma and should be use in selected cases. Systemic chemotherapy is generally a non effective treatment and continues be studied. Radiation therapy can be used as hypofractionated radiation therapy combined with local excision or in a palliative setting. The oncological outcomes in anorectal melanoma are very poor. The aim of the present study is to review clinicopathology features and management of anorectal melanoma.