Clinicopathologic features and surgical management in vulvovaginal melanoma – A retrospective single-center study

Background and aims

Vulvovaginal melanoma is a rare malignancy with a poor prognosis. This study aimed to review cases of vulvovaginal melanoma treated at Helsinki University Hospital. Objective was to evaluate the clinicopathologic features, treatment, and factors affecting outcome.

Methods

A single-center retrospective review was conducted on patients treated between 2001 and 2021. Data were collected from medical records. Clinicopathologic features, treatment, survival, and prognostic factors were analyzed.

Results

A total of 21 patients were included in the analysis. Localization was vulvar in 86% (n = 18) and vaginal in 14% (n = 3). The median age at diagnosis was 80 years. Initial treatment included surgery in 18 patients (86%), with wide local excision in 19%, radical excision in 62%, and pelvic exenteration in 4.8%. Negative margins were achieved in 83% (n = 15). Eleven (52%) patients underwent inguinal treatment: sentinel lymph node biopsy in 33%, direct lymphadenectomy in 14%, and both in 4.8%. Nine patients experienced melanoma recurrence. Recurrences were locoregional (n = 1), distant (n = 4), and both locoregional and distant (n = 4). Median disease-free survival was 18.9M and median overall survival (OS) was 36.5M. The 5-year relative OS was 20%. Melanoma was the cause of death in seven patients (33%). Vaginal localization tended to worsen prognosis. Nodal status was the only melanoma characteristic significantly associated with survival. Surgical radicality did not affect survival.

Conclusions

Vulvovaginal melanoma is associated with extremely poor survival rates and high recurrence rates, primarily involving distant metastasis. In local control, wide local excision seems to be a viable alternative to more radical surgery. Nodal status is a key prognostic factor emphasizing the importance of further research into the applicability of sentinel lymph node biopsy for vulvovaginal melanoma.