Ocular melanoma: total dose and dose rate effects with Co-60 plaque therapy

From 1968 to 1987, 123 consecutive patients with nonmetastatic choroidal melanoma were treated with cobalt-60 plaques. One hundred sixteen patients were followed up for a mean of 3.8 years. Twenty patients had local failure, and 14 patients had distant failure. Complications included 32 cataracts, and seven enucleations were required. Local recurrence did not correlate with tumor height, tumor volume, dose, or dose rate. Increased volume (P = .004) and height (P = .01) correlated with increased rates of distant metastases. Dose adjusted for volume did not correlate with the rate of metastases.