Preface

Although the majority of melanomas have a cutaneous origin, approximately 5% have a noncutaneous origin and arise from the eye (ocular melanoma) or mucosa of the nasopharynx, gastrointestinal tract, or genitourinary tract (mucosal melanoma). Apart from melanoma of unknown primary site, which comprises approximately 3% of melanomas, the prognosis for noncutaneous melanomas is generally worse than cutaneous melanomas. In addition, although traditionally less well characterized compared to cutaneous melanoma, recent advances have significantly improved our understanding of the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of noncutaneous melanomas.

This book is divided into three sections and provides a multidisciplinary and broad review of the current state of knowledge regarding noncutaneous melanoma. Section 1 contains three chapters on uveal melanoma. In the first chapter, Grisanti and Tura thoroughly review the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment of uveal melanoma. An in-depth characterization of the genetics of uveal melanoma by Doherty and colleagues follows. Section 1 concludes with a chapter by Tura and colleagues describing the exciting potential of using a liquid biopsy for detecting circulating melanoma cells to aid in the diagnosis, prognosis, and surveillance of patients with uveal melanoma. Section 2 contains three chapters on mucosal melanoma, including thorough reviews of nasopharyngeal and anorectal melanoma by Paolino and colleagues, as well as genitourinary melanoma by Rambhia and colleagues. Read more…..