Malignant melanoma of the vagina--report of 19 cases.

Sixteen previously unreported cases of primary vaginal melanoma were studied, 8 from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (1935 to 1976) and 8 from the Connecticut Tumor Registry (1934 to 1976). In addition, 3 previously reported cases from the former institution are updated. Local control was obtained by means of primary radical surgery in 5 of 7 patients, 3 of whom are known to have subsequently died of disseminated disease. One patient initially treated with radical surgery had a local recurrence with metastasis to a regional node, but has now survived for more than 14 years following a second radical surgical procedure. Eight patients were treated primarily with radiotherapy, and 6 have died with metastatic melanoma; another died following pelvic exenteration for persistent local disease. Only 1 patient showed evidence of transient control after radiotherapy, but this patient had a local recurrence 36 months later and died with metastases. The overall 5-year survival rate for these 19 patients was 21%.