Background: How to deal with melanoma of unknown primary (MUP) origin is a debated topic in the literature.
Objective: We performed a worldwide survey to inquire what clinical and investigational workup is performed as well as the physicians' perception of this disease.
Methods: A questionnaire was sent via mail to clinicians involved in melanoma care from December 2015 to April 2016 using the International Dermoscopy Society website.
Results: 119 physicians from 47 different countries answered the questionnaire. The most reported examination was skin examination followed by CT and/or PET scans. All the participants declared asking about previous excisions of skin lesions with 81% of them asking for a histopathological slide review of previous biopsies. Half of the participants checked for a possible vitiligo phenomenon that may explain regression of the primary lesion. BRAF, cKIT, and GNAQ mutations were screened by 32% of participants. The majority of participants (76%) applied the same treatment protocols for MUP as patients with known primary melanomas of the same AJCC stage.
Conclusion: Strong heterogeneity was found between physicians dealing with MUP. Thus, a consensus document should be strongly encouraged.
Keywords: Management; Melanoma; Survey; Unknown primary.
© 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.