Anorectal malignant melanoma: curative abdominoperineal resection: patient selection with 18F-FDG-PET/CT. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Falch, Claudius; Mueller, Sven; Kirschniak, Andreas; Braun, Manuel; Koenigsrainer, Alfred; Klumpp, Bernhard
• Is Part Of: World journal of surgical oncology. Volume 14:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Anal melanoma -- Rectal melanoma -- Anus neoplasms -- Colorectal surgery -- Abdominoperineal resection -- Computed tomography -- PET; Cancer -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Tumors -- Periodicals; Tumors -- Surgery -- Periodicals; Surgery, Operative -- Periodicals; 616.994059
• DOI: 10.1186/s12957-016-0938-x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1477-7819

Abstract

Abstract Background Anorectal malignant melanomas (ARMM) are rare tumors, characterized by an early lymphatic spread and distant metastasis, resulting in an extremely poor overall survival. The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of regional lymph node metastasis (LNM) by computed tomography (CT) and 18F-FDG-PET/CT in patients undergoing abdominoperineal resection (APR) and its impact on oncologic outcome. Methods A retrospective analysis of six consecutive patients who underwent APR due to primary ARMM was performed. Patients were staged by CT and PET/CT. Results Four out of six patients had preoperative LNM involvement (two patients inguinal and perirectal, one iliacal, one perirectal), with two of them presenting with distant metastases additionally. Inguinal/iliacal LNM in two patients as well as liver metastasis in one patient was seen in PET/CT and missed by CT. The three patients with initial inguinal/iliacal LNM died during the observation period (overall survival: 10 (6–18) months). The three patients without inguinal/iliacal LNM involvement are currently alive, one patient showing a slowly progressive disease since 5 years, and two patients are tumor-free since 8.5 and 1.5 years (the patients had initial perirectal LNM). Conclusions In ARMM, PET/CT is superior to CT in detection of LNM and distant metastasis. APR is possibly a curative approach if the PET/CT shows exclusively perirectal LNM despite locally advanced tumor growth.