Familial malignant melanomas

Among a total of approx. 900 patients treated for malignant melanomas during the period 1964-1979, there were 10 in whom the probability diagnosis of familial malignant melanoma (FMM) could be made. There were 8 first-degree and 2 second-degree relatives. Two of them presented the intraocular, 8 the cutaneous form. The authors discuss the heredity, the age at the time of diagnosis, multiple occurrence of primary malignant melanomas, the duration of survival after the diagnosis is made and the prevention. In one female patient, 6 primary malignant melanomas developed during an 8-year period; another patient had 2 primary tumours. The relatively early age and the multiple occurrence of primary malignant melanomas are regarded as characteristic of FMM patients; they might also serve as an argument in favour of the genetic nature of this syndrome