Primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity. A review of 20 cases.

Twenty patients with primary malignant melanoma of the oral cavity have been described. They formed 3.9 percent of the total number of patients with malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity. The upper gingiva was most commonly affected. In this series, there were 14 male patients and 6 female patients who ranged in age from 26 to 80 years (average 58 years). The first symptom of melanoma was hyperpigmentation of the mucosa in 10 patients, tumor in 7, and pain in 3 edentulous patients with prostheses. Radical surgery was performed in 13 patients, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy in 9 cases. Only 1 patient survived 9 years. The remaining 12 died 11 to 18 months after radical treatment. Palliative therapy was applied in three patients, two patients were treated symptomatically, and two patients refused treatment. Early detection of melanoma is an indication for radical treatment and may increase the survival rate of patients with this disease, which is still very low.