MMS-I Treatment Is Linked to Low Recurrence, Mortality in Head and Neck Melanoma
Source: Dermatology Advisor, October 2024
Mohs micrographic surgery with melanocytic immunostains (MMS-I) is emerging as an effective treatment option for invasive melanomas, particularly in anatomically constrained areas, due to a low risk of local recurrence and disease-specific mortality, according to study results published in Dermatologic Surgery.
Researchers performed a single-center retrospective chart review at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota to assess local recurrence and melanoma-related death outcomes for T1a/b melanomas treated with MMS-I. Included in the study were adult patients with invasive melanomas treated with MMS-1 between January 2008 and December 2018. The primary outcome was the rate of local recurrence of invasive melanoma or in situ melanoma within 2 cm of the surgical scar.
This study included 352 patients with 359 tumors, with a median age of 71 (IQR, 61-78) years. The majority were men (71.6%). Most tumors (89.7%) were located on the head and neck, with the most common melanoma subtype being lentigo maligna (78.3%), followed by superficial spreading (14.2%).