Göksu YAVUZ ABDİOĞLU, Sevdegül AYDIN MUNGAN
Sakarya Tıp Dergisi - 2026;16(2):208-216
Objective: Malignant melanoma (MM) is an aggressive cancer responsible for 80% of deaths caused by skin cancers. Despite the increase in the incidence of MM in our country, existing studies are limited in number and mostly focus on cutaneous melanomas. The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiological and clinicopathological characteristics and survival data of MM patients diagnosed at our clinic and to contribute to the literature. Methods: A total of 157 malignant melanoma cases were retrospectively examined in terms of gender, age, tumor location, histological subtype, lymph node involvement, Clark and Breslow stages, mitotic count, presence of satellite lesions, ulceration, regression, tumour lymphocytic response, metastasis sites, treatment methods applied, and survival. Results: The majority of cases were found to be at an advanced stage and had high tumour thickness. Most histological and clinical parameters showed predominantly high-risk features. Metastasis distribution and overall survival analyses supported the poor prognosis associated with late presentation. Conclusions: In Türkiye, data suggest the incidence of MM is increasing but available studies are limited in number. In this study, we indicate that MM cases in our region are frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage This situation reveals that the society needs to be more aware of malignant melanoma, risk factors and prevention methods. We aimed to describe the epidemiologic, clinicopathologic, and survival characteristics of patients diagnosed with MM and to contribute these data to the literature.
