Surgical treatment of anorectal melanomas

Thirty cases of anorectal melanoma have been recorded in Israel from 1960 to 1981. The frequency of the disease doubled in the last decade (from 10 to 20 cases). A clear predominance has been noted among Jews of European descent (18 patients) as opposed to Sephardic Jews (9 patients) or Arabs (3 patients). From this series, the emerging conclusion is that in most cases radical surgery (abdominoperineal resection) is seldom indicated. It is doubtful whether this form of treatment increases the survival while affecting considerably the quality of life. Survival correlated well with the stage of disease at the time of diagnosis. No such correlation could be established with the type of treatment employed.