Spindle cell melanoma: a comparison of the cytomorphological features with the epithelioid variant

Patient and Tumor Factors on Overall Survival in Spindle Cell Melanoma

INTRODUCTION

Spindle cell melanoma (SCM) is a rare melanoma subtype characterized histologically by atypical, spindled, malignant melanocytes. SCM often presents in older patients and lacks typical cytologic markers, complicating diagnosis and frequently leading to advanced disease upon presentation. While some studies have documented SCM incidence, none have thoroughly examined the demographic, socioeconomic, and treatment factors influencing survival outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to investigate how demographic and clinical factors affect overall survival outcomes in SCM, providing updated data on demographic, socioeconomic, and tumor-related characteristics and treatment patterns.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study analyzed histologically confirmed spindle cell melanoma and mixed spindle cell melanoma cases diagnosed between 2004 and 2021. Patient demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors were collected, and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to determine the effects on overall survival.

RESULTS

Among 9,210 SCM cases, most were White patients (97.5%), male (65.2%), and located in metropolitan areas (85.7%). Males were more likely to receive treatment at academic centers and have higher comorbidity scores. The average age at diagnosis was 67.3 years (SD±15.1). SCM in head and neck regions showed a worse prognosis compared to extremity melanomas. Surgical intervention, received by 84.9% of patients, was associated with improved overall survival. The minority of patients who received radiation and chemotherapy (13.2% and 3.3%, respectively) were linked to increased mortality risk.

CONCLUSION

Age, sex, insurance status, treatment facility type, tumor location, and stage significantly influence SCM survival outcomes. The findings suggest that SCM's prognosis is closely tied to demographic and clinical characteristics, similar to other melanoma subtypes, supporting standard treatment protocols with surgical intervention as the primary approach. This large-scale study leverages comprehensive NCDB data, contributing to the literature gap in SCM's treatment and management.

Five years of disease-free survival in a case of recurrent, post-op, grade 3, stage 2, Malignant Spindle Cell Melanoma treated with Ayurvedic medicines: A case report

Malignant spindle cell melanoma is a rare cancer with a questionable prognosis because of limited published case reports. This article discusses a male patient with a history of Spindle cell melanoma tumor, Rt heel, Grade 3 (Gr 3) Stage 2 (St 2) seen in our OPD treated with supporting herbo-mineral combination of Ayurvedic medicine. Such types of cancers are of concern and can be more troublesome to the patient. The initial chief complaint of the patient was a palpable corn-like growth in the right heel, which was surgically removed at that time. When it recurred after one year, it was investigated thoroughly and it was found malignant, and then operated again. The patient came to us after his second operation. After appropriate analysis based on Ayurvedic and modern parameters, the patient was treated with Ayurved treatment. As there was no other treatment suggested by oncologists, he was on supportive Ayurvedic treatment only. Ayurvedic treatment continued for 2 years afterwards. The treatment module showed complete relief in the symptoms (100%), by the end of treatment. Follow-up PET scans showed further improvement and a complete reversal of residual disease was observed. The last PET scan did not show any evidence of abnormality. To date, there has been no recurrence and the patient has been living completely normally for the last almost 5 years (karnofsky score 90/100). It can be concluded that the addition of Ayurvedic treatment might have helped this patient of malignant spindle cell melanoma for regression of residual disease, prevention of metastasis to date, and a good quality of life. We have observed 5+ years of disease-free survival and near-normal quality of life for this patient, and still ongoing.

Analysis and prediction of 5-year survival in patients with cutaneous melanoma: a model-based period analysis

Background

The survival and prognosis of patients are significantly threatened by cutaneous melanoma (CM), which is a highly aggressive disease. It is therefore crucial to determine the most recent survival rate of CM. This study used population-based cancer registry data to examine the 5-year relative survival rate of CM in the US.

Methods

Period analysis was used to assess the relative survival rate and trends of patients with CM in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database during 2004-2018. And based on the data stratified by age, gender, race and subtype in the SEER database, a generalized linear model was 12established to predict the 5-year relative survival rate of CM patients from 2019 to 2023.

Results

The 5-year relative survival increased to various degrees for both total CM and CM subtypes during the observation period. The improvement was greatest for amelanotic melanoma, increasing from 69.0% to 81.5%. The 5-year overall relative survival rates of CM were 92.9%, 93.5%, and 95.6% for 2004-2008, 2009-2013, and 2014-2018, respectively. Females had a marginally higher survival rate than males for almost all subtypes, older people had lower survival rates than younger people, white patients had higher survival rates than nonwhite ones, and urban locations had higher rates of survival from CM than rural locations did. The survival rate of CM was significantly lower for distant metastasis.

Conclusion

The survival rate of patients with CM gradually improved overall during 2004-2018. With the predicted survival rate of 96.7% for 2019-2023, this trend will still be present. Assessing the changes experienced by patients with CM over the previous 15 years can help in predicting the future course of CM. It also provides a scientific foundation that associated departments can use to develop efficient tumor prevention and control strategies.

Cytomorphology of spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma, including MYOD1 (LI22R) mutation result

Spindle cell/sclerosing rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), characterized by MYOD1 (L122R) mutation in a subset of cases is a newly described subtype of RMS. Presently, there is no documentation of cytomorphological features, especially of sclerosing RMS. Case 1: A 24-year-old male presented with pain and swelling in his wrist for a one-year duration. MRI revealed a well-defined soft tissue lesion measuring 5.3 cm, encasing the lower end of the ulna. Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) smears revealed clusters of tumor cells with round to oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, scant to moderate amount of cytoplasm with the wisps of the metachromatic stroma. Histopathological examination revealed a malignant tumor comprising cells with polygonal to spindle-shaped nuclei, arranged in a sclerotic stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for desmin, myogenin, and MYOD1. A diagnosis of sclerosing RMS was offered. Furthermore, the tumor revealed MYOD1 (L122R) mutation. Case 2: A 43-year-old male presented with a 4-month history of "nasal stuffiness" and pressure. Imaging revealed a poorly defined infiltrative lesion in his nasal cavity. FNAC smears revealed loose and tightly cohesive clusters of malignant cells with oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, a moderate amount of ill-defined bluish to finely vacuolated cytoplasm, and focal streak artifact with interspersed stromal fragments. Histopathological examination revealed a malignant tumor composed of oval to spindle-shaped nuclei, embedded in a variably hyalinized stroma. Immunohistochemically, the tumor cells were positive for desmin, and myogenin. Diagnosis of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS was offered. The present study constitutes one of the first documentation of cytomorphological features of two rare cases of spindle cell/sclerosing RMS. The differential diagnoses and treatment-related implications are presented.

Metastatic malignant melanoma mimicking a salivary gland basaloid neoplasm after treatment with nivolumab

Malignant melanoma is a well-known diagnostic pitfall, given its propensity to metastasize to different sites and mimic various entities. In this report, we present a fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) of a metastatic melanoma with basaloid features that is occurring in the preauricular/parotid area. The patient is a 17-year-old male with a history of excision of melanoma of the left temple, and was undergoing adjuvant treatment with nivolumab. The prior excision was positive for S100, HMB-45, melan-A, and tyrosinase. On follow-up, he presented with non-FDG avid left preauricular area lesions. FNA was performed, and on-site evaluation demonstrated a cellular basaloid neoplasm with focal fibrillary stroma. Immunohistochemical stains revealed that the tumor cells were positive for SOX-10, S100, MITF, and HMGA2, and were negative for HMB-45, melan-A, tyrosinase, p63, cam 5.2 and PLAG1. The positive S100, SOX-10, and MITF results and negative cam 5.2 result supported the diagnosis of melanoma. Nivolumab was then stopped, Dabrafenib/Trametinib were started, and the patient underwent excision of the nodules. Nine-months later, he developed a rib metastasis that was positive for S100, SOX-10, melan-A, and tyrosinase. This report emphasizes that melanoma involving the parotid gland region has the potential to be misdiagnosed by FNA as a salivary gland neoplasm because of overlapping cytologic features and immunophenotypes. This pitfall is avoided by careful morphologic analysis and judicious use of ancillary studies.

Optimization of an automated tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte algorithm for improved prognostication in primary melanoma

Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have potential prognostic value in melanoma and have been considered for inclusion in the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging criteria. However, interobserver discordance continues to prevent the adoption of TIL into clinical practice. Computational image analysis offers a solution to this obstacle, representing a methodological approach for reproducibly counting TIL. We sought to evaluate the ability of a TIL-quantifying machine learning algorithm to predict survival in primary melanoma. Digitized hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) slides from prospectively enrolled patients in the NYU melanoma database were scored for % TIL using machine learning and manually graded by pathologists using Clark's model. We evaluated the association of % TIL with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) using Cox proportional hazards modeling and concordance indices. Discordance between algorithmic and manual TIL quantification was assessed with McNemar's test and visually by an attending dermatopathologist. In total, 453 primary melanoma patients were scored using machine learning. Automated % TIL scoring significantly differentiated survival using an estimated cutoff of 16.6% TIL (log-rank P < 0.001 for RFS; P = 0.002 for OS). % TIL was associated with significantly longer RFS (adjusted HR = 0.92 [0.84-1.00] per 10% increase in % TIL) and OS (adjusted HR = 0.90 [0.83-0.99] per 10% increase in % TIL). In comparison, a subset of the cohort (n = 240) was graded for TIL by melanoma pathologists. However, TIL did not associate with RFS between groups (P > 0.05) when categorized as brisk, nonbrisk, or absent. A standardized and automated % TIL scoring algorithm can improve the prognostic impact of TIL. Incorporation of quantitative TIL scoring into the AJCC staging criteria should be considered.

Metastatic low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma after 24 years: A case report and review of recent molecular genetics

Low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma (LGESS) is a rare malignant uterine tumor with the potential to metastasize years after the primary resection. There is a broad differential diagnosis for endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS), including both benign and malignant entities. Herein, we present the case of a 64-year-old female with metastatic LGESS to the lung, diagnosed by cytology, 24 years after her initial presentation. This report discusses the cytomorphologic and histopathologic characteristics, and ancillary studies including immunohistochemical stains and recent advances in molecular diagnostics of ESS. Accurate diagnosis of spindle cell lesions in the lung can be challenging. As such, this case highlights the instrumental role of ancillary testing and molecular diagnostics to achieve a more definitive diagnosis.

Spindle cell melanoma: Incidence and survival, 1973-2017

Spindle cell melanoma (SCM) is a rare morphological subtype of melanoma, which is relatively uncharacterized. The aim of the present study was to investigate the incidence of SCM, its general demographics, basic clinico-pathologic features, treatment outcomes and disease-specific prognostic factors. SCM cases were sampled from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program (1973–2017). A total of 4761 SCM cases were identified, with a median age of 66 years. The female:male ratio was 0.62:1. Statistically significant overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) rate differences were identified depending on age, sex, ethnicity, tumor location, T stage, N stage, M stage, pathological grade, AJCC stage, SEER stages and surgical treatment (P<0.05). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that age >66 years, T3+T4 stage disease, positive N stage and SEER historic stage of regional and distant metastasis tumor were associated with poor DSS and OS rates. In summary, SCM was most common in Caucasian people of 60~80 years of age with a predominance in males. Patient's age, ethnicity, T stage, N stage, and SEER historic stage were identified as independent prognostic factors of SCM in terms of DSS and OS.

Desmoplastic melanoma versus spindle cell melanoma: Incidence and survival, 1973 to 2017

Desmoplastic melanoma (DM) and spindle cell melanoma (SCM) are 2 rare subtypes of melanoma. This study aims to investigate these 2 melanomas comprehensively by comparison.Cases were identified in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database (1973-2017).A total of 3657 DM and 4761 SCM cases were identified. DM's female-to-male ratio was 1:2 and SCM's was 0.62:1. The age distribution was similar. Both tumor mostly originated from skin and the eye and orbit was SCM-specific tumor site. Comparing both tumors with DM as reference, significant overall survival (OS) were found depending on sex (women, P < .001), age (age ≤65 years, P < .001), race (white, P = .01), tumor orientation (skin, P < .001), T stage (T3 + T4, P = .001), SEER historic stage (regional tumor, P = .04), and surgery (P = .01). Meanwhile, significant disease specific survival (DSS) differences were found depending on sex (men, P < .001), age (age ≤65 years, P < .001), race (white, P < .001), tumor orientation (skin, P < .001), T early stage (T1 + T2, P = .02), T advanced stage (T3 + T4 stage, P = .001), SEER historic stage (regional tumor, P < .001), and surgery (P < .001). The chance of DSS and OS of SCM were significantly higher comparing to DM for female patients (HR = 1.268, for OS; HR = 1.711, for DSS), patients age ≤65 years (HR = 1.290, for OS; HR = 1.638, for DSS), No-Spanish-Hispanic-Latino patients (HR = 1.098, for OS; HR = 1.426, for DSS), patients with skin tumor (HR = 1.174; for OS; HR = 1.444; for DSS) and patients who received surgery (HR = 1.091; for OS; HR = 1.398, for DSS).DM and SCM mostly occurred in white people' skin at 60 to 80 years old and eye and orbit was another most affected site for SCM. SCM had slightly higher occurrence in women and the risk of DSS and OS were significantly higher comparing to DM depending on the women, patients age ≤65 years, patients with skin tumor, No-Spanish-Hispanic-Latino patients and patients who received surgery.

Large-scale proteomic characterization of melanoma expressed proteins reveals nestin and vimentin as biomarkers that can potentially distinguish melanoma subtypes

Melanoma is an aggressive type of skin cancer, which accounts for only 4% of skin cancer cases but causes around 75% of skin cancer deaths. Currently, there is a limited set of protein biomarkers that can distinguish melanoma subtypes and provide an accurate prognosis of melanoma. Thus, we have selected and profiled the proteomes of five different melanoma cell lines from different stages of progression in comparison with a normal melanocytes using tandem mass spectrometry. We also profiled the proteome of a solid metastatic melanoma tumor. This resulted in the identification of 4758 unique proteins, among which ∼200-300 differentially expressed proteins from each set were found by quantitative proteomics. Correlating protein expression with aggressiveness of each melanoma cell line and literature mining resulted in the final selection of six proteins: vimentin, nestin, fibronectin, annexin A1, dipeptidyl peptidase IV, and histone H2A1B. Validation of nestin and vimentin using 40 melanoma samples revealed pattern of protein expression can help predict melanoma aggressiveness in different subgroups of melanoma. These results, together with the combined list of 4758 expressed proteins, provide a valuable resource for selecting melanoma biomarkers in the future for the clinical and research community.