Subungual Melanoma: A Single Institution Experience.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Dermatology
• Surgical Pathology

Background:

• Subungual melanoma is a rare malignancy with limited available data.
• Recent advancements in melanoma treatment have not been extensively studied in the context of subungual melanoma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrospectively analyze demographic, clinical, pathological, and outcome data of patients with subungual melanoma.
• To identify factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) in subungual melanoma patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of 25 surgically treated subungual melanoma patients from 2002-2018.
• Data collected included patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment, and follow-up outcomes.
• Statistical analysis focused on recurrence-free survival (RFS) and its correlation with various factors.

Main Results:

• The median age at diagnosis was 69 years, with 60% of patients being male. The foot was the most common location (68%).
• Acral-lentiginous subtype (59%) and a median Breslow thickness of 3.4 mm were noted. Metastatic disease was found in 27% of sentinel lymph node biopsies.
• Increasing Breslow thickness was significantly associated with shorter RFS (HR: 1.07). RFS rates were 66% at 1 year and 40% at 3 years.

Conclusions:

• Subungual melanomas are frequently diagnosed at advanced stages, contributing to a poor prognosis.
• Breslow thickness is a critical prognostic factor for recurrence-free survival in subungual melanoma.
• Further research is needed to improve outcomes for this rare malignancy.