Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient
Background: While cutaneous melanoma is common in up to 2.6% of Caucasian population, it is far less common in the African American population, up to 0.1%. Additionally, anal melanoma in particular comprises less than 1% of all melanomas and roughly 4% of anal cancers, while Spindle-cell variants ar...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Current Problems in Cancer: Case Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266662192300056X |
| _version_ | 1797256285839687680 |
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| author | Mediha Siddiqui Joe Saad Darshan Gandhi |
| author_facet | Mediha Siddiqui Joe Saad Darshan Gandhi |
| author_sort | Mediha Siddiqui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: While cutaneous melanoma is common in up to 2.6% of Caucasian population, it is far less common in the African American population, up to 0.1%. Additionally, anal melanoma in particular comprises less than 1% of all melanomas and roughly 4% of anal cancers, while Spindle-cell variants are even less common, suggesting an extremely low incidence in the African American population. Definitive diagnosis can be challenging due to lack of definitive mass or pigmentation at presentation. There is a lack of good long-term studies and treatment guidelines for this malignancy with significant variation in treatment approaches and patient outcomes. Case description: Here we present a case of an 63-year old African American gentleman with no significant past medical history and unremarkable colonoscopy 3 years prior, who presented with a mass in the anal canal that was found during a scheduled screening colonoscopy. The patient was completely asymptomatic at presentation. PET/CT scan showed hypermetabolic activity in the anal canal region. Patient underwent surgical excision with pathology revealing a 2.7 cm spindle cell type of malignant melanoma and promptly treated with adjuvant immunotherapy, resulting in extended progression-free survival before recurrence in the liver. Conclusion: The early diagnosis of spindle cell melanoma can prompt more aggressive surgical and systemic management options resulting in extended survival, however, late recurrences are common and often refractory to standard therapeutic options. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T18:18:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-881277cdd25d49f7999b1d44f5380101 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-6219 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:19:19Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Problems in Cancer: Case Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-881277cdd25d49f7999b1d44f53801012024-03-20T06:11:26ZengElsevierCurrent Problems in Cancer: Case Reports2666-62192024-03-0113100272Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patientMediha Siddiqui0Joe Saad1Darshan Gandhi2Methodist Health System, Dallas, TX, USAMethodist Health System, Dallas, TX, USATexas Oncology, Dallas, TX, USA; Corresponding author.Background: While cutaneous melanoma is common in up to 2.6% of Caucasian population, it is far less common in the African American population, up to 0.1%. Additionally, anal melanoma in particular comprises less than 1% of all melanomas and roughly 4% of anal cancers, while Spindle-cell variants are even less common, suggesting an extremely low incidence in the African American population. Definitive diagnosis can be challenging due to lack of definitive mass or pigmentation at presentation. There is a lack of good long-term studies and treatment guidelines for this malignancy with significant variation in treatment approaches and patient outcomes. Case description: Here we present a case of an 63-year old African American gentleman with no significant past medical history and unremarkable colonoscopy 3 years prior, who presented with a mass in the anal canal that was found during a scheduled screening colonoscopy. The patient was completely asymptomatic at presentation. PET/CT scan showed hypermetabolic activity in the anal canal region. Patient underwent surgical excision with pathology revealing a 2.7 cm spindle cell type of malignant melanoma and promptly treated with adjuvant immunotherapy, resulting in extended progression-free survival before recurrence in the liver. Conclusion: The early diagnosis of spindle cell melanoma can prompt more aggressive surgical and systemic management options resulting in extended survival, however, late recurrences are common and often refractory to standard therapeutic options.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266662192300056XMelanomaAnal massSpindle cell neoplasm |
| spellingShingle | Mediha Siddiqui Joe Saad Darshan Gandhi Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient Current Problems in Cancer: Case Reports Melanoma Anal mass Spindle cell neoplasm |
| title | Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient |
| title_full | Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient |
| title_fullStr | Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient |
| title_short | Unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an African-American patient |
| title_sort | unusual presentation and course of malignant melanoma of anal canal in an african american patient |
| topic | Melanoma Anal mass Spindle cell neoplasm |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266662192300056X |
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