Table 1.
Clinical and molecular comparison of melanoma based on site of origin
| Mucosala
[2, 3] |
Cutaneous [4, 5] | Ocular (uveal) [6] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical | |||
| Age of onset | 60–70 years | 55 years | 62 years |
| Incidence all (USA) | 1% (800/yr) | 90%+ (80,000/yr) | 3% (2500/yr) |
| Incidence rate | Stable | Rising | Stable |
| 5 year survival | 25–30% regardless of stage | By stage 80% | Class 1: 90% Class 2: <20% |
| Molecular | |||
| BRAF V600E mutationsb | <6% | 50% | 0% |
| NRAS | 15–20% | 30% | <5% |
| KIT mutation/ampc | 25% (10–37) | 6–8% | <1% |
| BAP1 mutation | ? | 3% | 50% (metastases) |
| GNAQ and GNA11 | 0, rare | 2%, 4% | 50%, 36% respectively |
| Other | Monosomy Chr 3 | ||
| TERT promoter mutations | 8–20% | 48% | 1% |
Bolded entries are notable differences between melanoma subtypes
Amp amplification; Chr chromosome; yr year
aMucosal melanomas include anogenital; 55% arise in the head and neck region Treatment/clinical trials require validation in each subsite secondary to differences in molecular profiles
bBRAF inhibitors (cutaneous origin)
cKIT inhibitors (i.e. imatinib) (mucosal origin—most patients develop resistance)