Anorectal malignant melanoma has a poor prognosis

Clinicopathologic features and surgical treatment of 15 patients with primary anorectal malignant melanoma were studied retrospectively. There was a female preponderance (2:1). The median age was 66 years. Common initial symptoms were rectal bleeding (87%) and/or anal pain (33%); 25% of the melanomas were amelanotic. The maximum tumor size ranged between 0.8 and 8.4 cm (median 3.0 cm). Of the tumors evaluated histologically (n = 12), tumor thickness ranged from 0.9 to 11.3 mm (median 6.1 mm). All melanomas invaded at least into the subepithelial tissue (n = 8) and/or the submucosa of the distal rectum (n = 4), with extension into the internal anal sphincter (n = 5) and lamina propria (n = 3). Endoluminal ultrasound accurately demonstrated depth of invasion in 3 of 3 patients. Three (20%) patients with distant metastases at initial presentation had a mean survival of 8 mo; one of these primary melanomas measured 0.8 cm. Of 12 patients undergoing "curative" treatments--4 by abdominoperineal resection (APR) and 8 by local excision (LE), the incidence of loco-regional recurrence was similar (2/4 and 5/8). All these 7 patients with loco-regional recurrence developed distant metastases within 3 months. The mean survival was similar between APR and LE in the total group (25 mo vs 20 mo), in the decreased (27 mo vs 24 mo) and in those treated with a curative intent (29 mo vs 22 mo). There was no long-term survivor but four patients remained tumor-free up to 19 mo after APR (n = 1) or LE (n = 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)