[Conservative treatment of choroidal melanoma using iodine-125 brachytherapy, technique and preliminary analysis of 78 patients].
OBJECTIVE
Iodine 125 curietherapy is one of the conservative treatments of uveal melanoma. The technique used to achieve these results was simplified through the physical characteristics of the radioelement and the optimized-dosimetry program employed.


METHODS
78 patients with choroidal melanoma were treated with iodine 125. About 100 Gy were delivered to the superior pole of the tumour. The minimal length of follow-up was 17 months and the average, 67 months.


RESULTS
There was 88% local control, leading to lowered visual acuity in 76% of the cases. Radiation retinopathy, directly related to proximity to the macula, is the principle etiology. Seven patients died of hepatic metastasis, five patients were enucleated. Four patients were further treated with protontherapy to make up for noncontrol locally.


CONCLUSIONS
One dose of 100 Gy to the superior pole of the tumor seemed to lead to good local control, with the exception of complications related to proximity to the macula and the optic nerve. In this attempt to optimize irradiation, the time lapse between any benefit in local control derived from irradiation and posttherapeutic complications observed remains insufficient to evaluate any relationship.
Quétin
P
P
Département de radiothérapie, centre Paul-Strauss, 3, rue de la Porte-de-l'Hôpital, 67085 Strasbourg, France.
Meyer
L
L
Schumacher
C
C
Polto
F
F
Magnenet
P
P
Andres
E
E
Sahel
J
J
Schraub
S
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001918:Brachytherapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*
D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes