Patterns of recurrence and retreatment outcomes among clinical stage I and II head and neck melanoma patients

Head Neck. 2019 May;41(5):1304-1311. doi: 10.1002/hed.25562. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to determine survival outcomes in patients who underwent retreatment of recurrent cases of cutaneous melanoma of the head and neck (CMHN).

Methods: Retrospective review of all patients who were treated for primary clinical stage I or II CMHN between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2015.

Results: Twenty percent (33/168) of the patients developed a recurrence. Sixty-six percent (4/6) of patients who developed local recurrence first and 50% (3/6) of patients who developed regional recurrence first were alive without evidence (NED) of disease at last follow-up, while 0% (0/21) of patients who developed distant or simultaneous recurrences first were NED at last follow-up. Among the 7 patients who were NED, the mean time from recurrence to last follow-up was 735 days.

Conclusions: Of patients with isolated local or regional recurrences, 58% (7/12) obtained durable curative treatment for recurrent melanoma.

Keywords: head and neck; local recurrence; melanoma; regional recurrence; retreatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Cohort Studies
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Female
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / mortality
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms / therapy
  • Humans
  • Kaplan-Meier Estimate
  • Male
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / pathology*
  • Melanoma / therapy
  • Melanoma, Cutaneous Malignant
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / pathology
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / mortality*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / pathology*
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / therapy
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Proportional Hazards Models
  • Retreatment
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Assessment
  • Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy*
  • Skin Neoplasms / mortality
  • Skin Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Skin Neoplasms / therapy
  • Survival Analysis
  • Treatment Outcome
  • United States