Few adverse events associated with combined cutaneous tumors with melanoma component

Source: Healio.com/Deramatology, August 2015

Researchers found a low number of adverse events after analyzing the histogenesis and clinical behavior of combined cutaneous tumors with a melanoma component.

“We present a large series of [combined cutaneous tumors] possessing a melanoma component with long-term follow-up data,” Sapna M. Amin, MD, and colleagues wrote. “Overall outcomes were favorable, with the majority of patients being disease-free at time of last follow-up visit. This may be related to epithelial dependence of the melanoma component.”

Amin and colleagues retrospectively reviewed 16 cases of combined cutaneous tumors from two institutions between 2000 and 2014 with both an epithelial and melanoma component. The researchers performed fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) to determine chromosomal copy number alterations for both epithelial and melanoma components. The median patient follow-up was 25 months.

The results showed a squamomelanocytic tumor in 11 cases, basomelanocytic tumor in three cases and trichoblastomelanoma in two cases. The researchers found that 87% of the patients were men, 81% of patients had extensive solar elastosis, and 57% of tumors were found on the head or neck. Regarding FISH assays, 55% of cases showed chromosomal copy number alterations and five cases had chromosomal gains in the melanocytic component. A single case had 11q13-specific gains in the epithelial and melanocytic components.

“While it is unclear if all patients have the same histogenesis, demographic findings and the common presence of heavy solar elastosis support the field cancerization theory, while the presence of biphenotypia and common chromosomal aberrations in a small subset of our cases support the tumor convergent theory — two theories that are not necessarily mutually exclusive,” Amin and colleagues wrote. — by Jeff Craven

Disclosure: Amin reports no relevant financial disclosures. Please see the study for a full list of the other researchers’ relevant financial disclosures.