Decreased risk of subsequent primary noncutaneous malignancies among patients with primary cutaneous malignant melanoma.

It is established in the clinical literature that patients who develop specific types of malignancies are at an increased statistical risk for the development of a second primary malignancy. Previous studies have supported the theory that patients who develop primary cutaneous malignant melanoma (PCMM) have a greater risk for the development of a secondary primary noncutaneous malignancy (SPNM). Taken from the tumor registry of a community hospital, data for 504 consecutive patients (254 men and 250 women) with a diagnosis of PCMM were evaluated for the incidence of subsequent SPNM by comparing this series of patients to the general population of Connecticut. It was demonstrated that patients with PCMM had a significantly reduced incidence of SPNM (p = 0.002). Consideration should be given to possible biological and behavioral mechanisms which could explain the observed deficit.