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Primary malignant melanoma of the pharynx

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2006

Özcan Öztürk
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Turkey
Hüsnü Özek
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Turkey
Harun Cansiz
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty, Turkey

Abstract

Primary mucosal malignant melanomas are rare. They appear late in life and their prognosis is grave. Although there is no consensus on therapy, wide surgical resection followed by radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are treatment modalities. In this report we present a case of widespread primary mucosal malignant melanoma located in the pharynx. After immunotherapy (four cycles of interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha) and chemotherapy (four cycles of cisplatin and dacarbazine) has been applied as primary therapy for suppression of the mass, transoral total pharyngeal resection was performed. After surgery three cycles of immunotherapy and three cycles of chemotherapy were administered followed by radiotherapy (total dose of 6600 cGy). An additional three cycles of immunotherapy and chemotherapy were administered. Although no local recurrence was observed during the 14 months of follow-up after the completion of radiotherapy, cranial and lung metastasis were detected in the 12th month.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2001

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