Melanomas of the mucous membrane of the head and neck.

This is a report comprised of 78 cases of melanoma of the mucous membrane of the head and neck and is part of a larger study of 995 cases of head and neck melanoma. These cases represent a review of patients over a 55-year period from the Pack Medical Foundation. Melanoma of the mucous membrane is a rare condition and the most serious of all head and neck melanomas. Its highest incidence is in the oral cavity, followed by the nasal and pharyngeal cavities. It usually occurs during the fifth decade of life. In its early stages it is asymptomatic and often located in areas difficult to see upon visual examination and technically inaccessible. These facts lead to a delay in diagnosis, which reduces curability to 8%. In spite of these negative factors, there has been a significant improvement in the extension and quality of life for patients with melanoma of the mucous membrane. The biological characteristics of this disease are analyzed and a philosophy of management is offered.