Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

The prognostic importance of scalp location in primary head and neck melanoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: For patients with cutaneous melanoma, primary tumors located in the head and neck is associated with poor outcomes. The reason for this difference and whether it is applicable to all locations within the head and neck remains unclear. We hypothesized that scalp melanoma is uniquely distinguished from other anatomic sites and is independently responsible for the poor prognosis of head and neck melanoma.

METHODS: Query and analysis of a prospectively maintained melanoma database of all patients treated for primary cutaneous melanoma from 1971 to 2010.

RESULTS: Of 11 384 patients identified, 7% (n = 799) of lesions originated on the scalp. Scalp primaries were more often found in males and were associated with increased Breslow thickness and were more frequently ulcerated compared to all other anatomic sites (P = 0.0001). On multivariate analysis, scalp location was an independent predictor of worse melanoma-specific (HR 1.75; CI 1.50-2.04; P < 0.0001) and overall survival (HR 1.62; CI 1.41-1.86; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS: This, the largest series examining scalp melanoma, confirms that scalp location is independently responsible for the negative prognosis associated with head and neck melanoma. Although the pathophysiology of this difference remains to be determined, these data argue for more rigorous surveillance of this anatomic location.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app