Demographics, Clinical Characteristics and Survival Outcomes of Primary Urinary Tract Malignant Melanoma Patients: A Population-Based Analysis

Abstract

All primary urinary tract malignant melanoma (ureter vs. bladder vs. urethra) patients were identified from within the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database 2000–2020. Kaplan-Maier plots depicted the overall survival (OS) rates. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression (MCR) models were fitted to test the differences in overall mortality (OM). In the overall cohort (n = 74), the median OS was 22 months. No statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences were recorded according to sex (female vs. male; p = 0.9) and treatment of the primary (endoscopic vs. surgical; p = 0.6). Conversely, clinically meaningful but not statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05) differences were recorded according to the patient’s age at diagnosis (≤80 vs. ≥80 years old; p = 0.2), marital status (married 26 vs. unmarried 16 months; p = 0.2), and SEER stage (localized 31 vs. regional 14 months; p = 0.4), and the type of systemic therapy (exposed 31 vs. not exposed 20 months; p = 0.06). Finally, in univariable and MCR analyses, after adjustment for the SEER stage and type of systemic therapy, tumor origin within the bladder was associated with a three-fold higher OM (Hazard ratio: 3.00; p = 0.004), compared to tumor origin within the urethra. In conclusion, primary urinary tract malignant melanoma patients have poor survival. Specifically, tumor origin within the bladder independently predicted a higher OM, even after adjustment for the SEER stage and systemic therapy status.

Contemporary conditional cancer‐specific survival rates in surgically treated nonmetastatic primary urethral carcinoma

“…Moreover, it represents the most contemporary as well as the largest sample relying on conditional survival methodology. Indeed, observational databases, such as the SEER database or NCDB represent the only opportunity to study rare primaries with robust statistical conclusions 19 . Second, we relied on the SEER database, which includes North American patients.…”

“…to study rare primaries with robust statistical conclusions. 19 Second, we relied on the SEER database, which includes North American patients. For this reason, our findings can be applied to this population but may be not generalizable to other parts of the world, such as Europe or Asia.…”