Regional disease control in sinonasal mucosal melanoma: systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To systematically analyze the regional disease control after sinonasal mucosal melanoma (SNMM) primary treatment. Methods: The study was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines searching on Scopus, PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases. Results: A total of 15 studies with 936 patients (median age: 68.0 years, IQR 65-71) were included. Overall, the cumulative regional recurrence rate (RRR) was 18.4% (n = 917, 99% CI: 14.0%-23.4%), with a median follow-up of 30.0 months (n = 765, IQR 22.0-37.0). The RRR in clinical node negative patients was 17.0% (99% CI: 12.2%-22.5%), with a median follow-up of 22.0 months (n = 327, IQR 21.5-31.5). Conclusions: The RRR of SNMM after primary treatment is not to be neglected. Further prospective studies should be encouraged to clarify if elective treatment of the neck could be recommended at least in a subgroup of patients.