Nasal and paranasal sinus mucosal melanoma: Long-term survival outcomes and prognostic factors

Nicholas B Abt1, Lauren E Miller1, Tara E Mokhtari1

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Abstract

Insights

Surgery significantly improves survival for mucosal melanoma patients compared to radiation therapy alone. Adding radiation therapy to surgery does not further enhance survival outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Surgical Oncology
  • Radiation Oncology

Background:

  • Mucosal melanoma (MM) of the nasal cavity (NC) and paranasal sinus (PS) is a rare and aggressive malignancy.
  • Understanding prognostic factors and optimal treatment strategies is crucial for improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify prognostic factors influencing survival in NC and PS MM.
  • To compare survival patterns across different treatment modalities, including surgery and radiation therapy (RT).

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 928 NC and PS MM cases from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2013).
  • Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional hazard modeling were employed for survival analysis.

Main Results:

  • Increasing age, T4 tumors, N1 status, and PS disease were associated with worse survival.
  • Surgery and combined surgery + RT significantly improved survival compared to no treatment or RT alone.
  • No significant survival difference was observed between surgery alone and surgery + RT (p=0.43).

Conclusions:

  • Surgery is a superior treatment modality for NC and PS MM compared to RT alone.
  • Adjuvant RT following surgical resection does not confer additional survival benefits.