CUTANEOUS MELANOMA IN PATIENTS WITH SARCOMA

BACKGROUND. The authors became interested in an association between cu taneous melanoma and sarcoma when they reviewed their experience with other malignancies occurring in patients with a diagnosis of sarcoma. METHODS. The authors identified 48 patients with both melanoma and bon e or soft tissue sarcoma (STS) by a computer search of all sarcoma pat ients entered into their institution's cancer registry between 1943 an d 1996 who had an additional diagnosis of melanoma. The medical record s were reviewed and clinical and pathologic data collected. RESULTS. T he median age at diagnosis was 46 years for patients with melanoma and 50 years for patients with sarcoma, which was consistent with populat ion-based data. Among patients with STS (n = 41), malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNT) were more common in patients with both dia gnoses (5 of 41; 13%) when compared with all adults with STS admitted to the study center between 1982 to date (125 of 2901; 4%; P < 0.05). Liposarcoma occurred in only 1 patient with both melanoma and STS (1 o f 41; 2%), despite the fact that it was the most common histologic dia gnosis in all adults with STS (625 of 2901; 22%; P < 0.001). The anato mic site of STS was more commonly visceral (11 of 41; 27%) when compar ed with all adults with STS (424 of 2901; 15%; P < 0.05). A positive f amily history of cancer was noted in 50% of the patients, and 25% of p atients had a third primary tumor. CONCLUSIONS. Although a distinct '' melanoma/sarcoma'' syndrome was not identified, MPNT as well as viscer al sarcomas were more common than expected in this study. The authors also noted strong family histories of cancer as well as additional pri mary malignancies in patients with melanoma and sarcoma, suggesting a predisposition toward cancer. (C) 1997 American Cancer Society.