Melanoma acral lentiginoso (MAL): experiencia del Instituto Nacional de Cancerología de Colombia. 2003-2006

Introduction: Acral Lentiginous Melanoma (ALM) is a variation of malignant melanoma which frequently occurs in Latin America; in developed countries it accounts for 2-8% of all melanoma types; in Colombia, 15% of all melanoma cases are classified as ALM. Histopathological characteristics of acral lentiginous melanoma patients treated at the National Cancer Institute of Colombia (NCI) during the years 2003-2006. This is the first descriptive report carried out on ALM in our country, and is among the few conducted in the world. Methods: an observational, retrospective study compiled the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of all acral lentiginous melanoma patients treated at the National Cancer Institute of Colombia during the years 2003-2006. Results: ALM patients accounted for 25% of all melanoma cases treated at the National Cancer Institute. A total of 93 patients were treated over the course of the study, 78 of whom underwent surgery. Advanced cases (Stages III and IV) made up 33% (n=31) of the total; among tumor antecedents, trauma at lesion site came to 11.8% (n=11). Non-solar exposure as a risk factor was reported in 64.5% (n=60) of patients; three patients (3.4%) had immediate family history of melanoma. Lower limb involvement prevailed, 88.1% (n=82) of which toes and soles of the feet were the most frequent sites, 94% (n=77). Three quarters (75%) of the 59 patients who underwent surgery received sentinel lymph node surgery. Other treatments included: adjuvant therapy with interpheron-alpha in 14 (18%) patients, chemotherapy in 8 patients (10.2%), radiotherapy in 18 patients (23%), surgery plus chemotherapy in 8 patients (10.2%), surgery plus radiotherapy in 18 patients (23%), and surgery plus chemotherapy plus radiotherapy in 3 patients (3.8%). Conclusion: this study describes the epidemiological characteristics of ALM in Colombia and provides a reference for the local study of this frequent melanoma variation in our population.