[Heavy ion radiotherapy for recurrence of an esophageal primary malignant melanoma]

A 55-year-old man, with a prior diagnosis of primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus, had undergone esophagectomy 6 years prior. During the postoperative follow-up, a flat tumor with black pigmentation, about 2 cm in diameter, was detected during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. A pathological examination of the biopsy specimen showed a recurrent malignant melanoma. He underwent heavy ion radiotherapy for the tumor, and it disappeared after 6 months. Subsequently, a mediastinal lymph node metastasis was detected a year after radiotherapy. He received heavy ion radiotherapy for that tumor, and it was reduced in size a year after radiotherapy. At present, the patient is alive, 13 years after the initial radiotherapy. Although malignant melanoma is generally considered to be a radioresistant cancer, heavy ion radiotherapy led to a favorable outcome. This is the first reported case of heavy ion radiotherapy for treating the recurrence of a primary malignant melanoma of the esophagus.