Primary Melanoma of the Stomach at Cardia

ABSTRACT

Melanoma is a malignant neoplasm of melanocytes most frequently arising from the skin, but primary melanoma can also arise from the mucosa of the gastrointestinal tract. Gastrointestinal melanomas are most commonly metastases from a cutaneous melanoma. Primary melanoma of the stomach is rare and carries a poor prognosis. Reported here is the case of a 75-year-old man with a primary gastric melanoma who presented with a melena, abdominal pain, and weight loss. Most cases of melanoma are treated by excision of the primary tumor. Patients with melanoma have been treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. None of these modalities has been demonstrated to prolong the survival rate. To improve long-term disease-free survival, early diagnosis and surgical intervention are very important.