To investigate survivin, AKT and VEGF expression in primary mucosal oral melanoma and explore their correlation with clinicopathological features and prognosis.

Twenty malignant primary oral melanomas were immunostained with antibodies against survivin, AKT, VEGF, CD34. Histological parameters and disease-specific survival were related to marker expressions.

Survivin localization was both nuclear and cytoplasmic with a higher expression of nuclear survivin. High melanocyte survivin expression significantly correlated with higher thickness of primary melanoma. A significant positive correlation was found between melanocyte survivin and phospho Akt and VEGF expression. Survivin was significantly associated with the presence of metastasis. High melanocyte survivin and high endothelial VEGF expression were inversely correlated to both overall and disease-specific 5-year survival.

Survivin, via AKT and VEGF, seems to play an important role in oral melanoma and could represent an important prognostic marker of melanoma progression.