Management of Head and Neck Mucosal Melanoma

Abstract

Head and neck mucosal melanomas are uncommon and aggressive malignancies that arise mainly in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, with the next commonest site being the oral cavity. The mainstay of treatment is radical surgical resection. Adjuvant radiotherapy improves locoregional control but does not improve overall survival. Systemic treatment with immunotherapy or targeted therapies can offer scope for modifying the course of the disease in both the adjuvant and the recurrent and metastatic setting. Further understanding of the genomic landscape and factors regulating immunogenicity will lead to further therapeutic opportunities in this challenging disease.

Keywords: Head and neck mucosal melanoma; Immunotherapy; Molecular biology; Radiotherapy; Surgery; Targeted therapy.