VAGINAL MELANOMA AND THE ROLE OF REGIONAL CHEMOTHERAPY

Vaginal melanoma is a rare cancer usually diagnosed as a locally advan ced disease. Aggressive surgical management of the primary tumor and l ocal-regional recurrences, combined with the use of adjuvant radiation and chemotherapy, improves disease-free interval and, perhaps, surviv al times. Techniques of regional chemotherapy allow the delivery of hi gh doses of chemotherapy to the tumor bed, while minimizing systemic t oxicities. These treatments can be used to decrease tumor size, render bulky tumors resectable, and decrease the need for radical procedures . Additionally, they may help eradicate clinically inapparent local-re gional disease and have a favorable effect on survival times.