title: Episcleral plaque radiotherapy in the treatment of uveal melanomas.
abstract: During an 8-year period, 85 patients with uveal melanomas were treated with episcleral plaque radiotherapy (EPRT). The T-stage was: T1-3 (4%), T2-29 (34%) and T3-53 (62%). The mean tumor elevation was 6.1 mm. Radiation dose was prescribed at the tumor apex and at D5mm. The mean D5mm dose was 150.1 Gy (range 70.5-430 Gy) and the mean dose at the apex was 102.6 Gy (range 29.8-200 Gy). Useful vision (greater than 5/200) was maintained in 73% of patients. The 5-year actuarial survival was 88%. Metastatic disease developed in 9 (11%) patients, 6 of whom died of their disease. Basal tumor dimensions were important factors predicting metastatic disease, p = 0.002. A decrease in tumor evaluation was seen in 82%. There was a much lower incidence of decrease in tumor radial and circumferential dimensions, 47.5 and 46%, respectively, p less than 0.001. Treatment complications were common (56%), particularly in patients with large tumors (72%), p = 0.04. The incidence of complications was higher in patients treated prior to 1988 as compared to those who were treated more recently (67 vs 35%, p = 0.010). There were 13 (15%) patients who had enucleation. This included 12 treated before 1986 and 1 patient treated subsequently (46 vs 2%, p less than 0.001). In a univariate analysis, tumor height and radiation dose at D5mm were important factors predicting enucleation, p = 0.004. In a multivariate analysis, however, the most important factor predicting enucleation was treatment administration prior to 1986, p less than 0.001). A sharp decrease in the incidence of severe complications, including enucleation, as seen after 1985, is likely due to a major effort in treatment optimization.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Radiation Oncology, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Petrovich
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luxton
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Langholz
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Astrahan
authors.forename: P E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Liggett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002830:Choroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate