Fourteen patients with oral mucosal malignant melanomas seen at a regional cancer centre over a 10-year period were analysed. All the patients presented with symptoms of short duration, with extensive local disease at initial evaluation in 11 patients. The palate was the commonest site involved. Ten patients had regional nodal disease and of these four also had distant metastases to the liver and/or the lung. Coincidental melanosis was identified clinically in three patients and histologically confirmed in two patients. Only four patients underwent radical surgery. Of the five patients who received DTIC-based chemotherapy, only one achieved a complete response. No significant correlation between stage of the disease at presentation, histological features or type of treatment and survival could be seen as the number of cases is small.