Outcome of Surgical Treatment for Primary Malignant Melanoma of the Female Urethra

ABSTRACTPurpose: We evaluate tumor characteristics, recurrence and survival following surgical treatment for female urethral melanoma.Materials and Methods: A review of the records of all female patients with primary localized urethral melanoma (11, mean age 68 years) who underwent partial urethrectomy (7) or radical extirpation (4) from 1950 to 1999 was performed to determine disease specific survival and/or tumor characteristics correlating with survival. Clinical and pathological stage, tumor location, nodal status, adjuvant therapy and tumor pathological components including depth, width, necrosis and vascular/lymphatic invasion, were evaluated. Overall disease recurrence, crude and disease specific survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results: Malignant melanoma occurred in the distal urethra in all 11 cases with local extension into the vagina (T3) in 7. Mean depth of invasion was 6.1 mm and mean tumor width was 2.0 cm. No vascular/lymphatic invasion or tumor necrosis was see...