Primary malignant melanoma of the vagina: report of four cases and review of the literature.

Four cases of malignant melanoma arising in the vagina are described, and the literature related to this unusual tumor is reviewed. The 2-year survival rate is better following radical surgery than after other treatment modalities; however, the 5-year survival rate is unrelated to type of therapy. Radical surgery appears to control local disease, but fails to address systemic spread of the tumor. Therefore, improvement in survival will require effective systemic therapy.