Immunotherapy in patients with mucosal melanomas has in general not improved survival or local-regional control rates. Average time of first local recurrence for OMM has been reported to be 9 to 12 months and metastases are diagnosed within 3 months after recurrence. Average survival rate after metastasis is 6 months. This is an example of gingival melanoma. Note the multiple foci of this malignant neoplasm.
Melanomas bleed easily and grow very rapidly.
This 50 year-old male had several metastases to his cervical lymph nodes. Some intraoral melanomas can be amelanotic in which case the diagnosis is not as obvious as here.