[Treatment modalities for conjunctival melanoma]

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Oncology
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• Conjunctival melanoma has high local recurrence rates after surgical excision.
• Adjuvant local chemotherapy with mitomycin C (MMC) or irradiation is recommended.
• Brachytherapy options include ruthenium-106 ((106)Ru) or strontium-90 ((90)Sr) plaques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy in controlling conjunctival melanoma.
• To compare different radiotherapy modalities for conjunctival melanoma treatment.
• To assess local recurrence and systemic metastasis rates after various adjuvant radiotherapy techniques.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 56 patients with conjunctival melanoma treated between 1992 and 2007.
• Adjuvant radiotherapy included X-ray irradiation, (106)Ru-brachytherapy, proton beam therapy, and (90)Sr-brachytherapy.
• Mean follow-up was 42 months; mean patient age was 62 years.

Main Results:

• Local tumor recurrence occurred in 21% of patients.
• Distant recurrence was observed in 22% of patients.
• Systemic metastasis developed in 18% of patients; 46% had no recurrence during follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Adjuvant radiotherapy provides acceptable local tumor control for conjunctival melanoma post-excision.
• No significant differences in tumor control or systemic metastasis were observed among the various radiotherapy methods used.
• Radiotherapy is a valuable option for managing conjunctival melanoma, with comparable outcomes across different techniques.