Gamma knife radiosurgery in the management of malignant melanoma brain metastases.
OBJECTIVE
Radiosurgery is increasingly used to manage malignant melanoma brain metastases. We reviewed our series of patients who underwent radiosurgery for melanoma brain metastases to assess clinical outcomes and identify prognostic factors for survival and cerebral disease control.


METHODS
Two hundred forty-four patients had radiosurgery for the management of 754 metastatic tumors. A mean of 2.6 tumors were irradiated per procedure. The median tumor volume was 4.4 cm3. The median margin and maximum doses used were 18 and 32 Gy, respectively.


RESULTS
The median survival was 5.3 months after radiosurgery (mean, 10 mo; range, 0.2-114.3 mo). Patients survived a median of 7.8 months (mean, 13.4 mo) from the diagnosis of brain metastases and 44.9 months (mean, 69 mo) after the diagnosis of the primary tumor. Survival was better in patients with controlled systemic disease (12.7 mo), single brain metastasis (6.8 mo), and a Karnofsky performance score of 90 or 100% (6.3 mo). Sustained local control was achieved in 86.2% of tumors. Increased tumor volume and previous evidence of hemorrhage increased the risk of local failure. Multiple lesions and failure to provide systemic immunotherapy were predictors for the occurrence of new brain metastases, which developed in 41.7% of the patients. Symptomatic radiation changes occurred in 6.6% of the patients. Overall, 71.4% of the patients improved or remained clinically stable. Brain disease was the cause of death in 40.5% of the patients, usually from the development of new metastases.


CONCLUSIONS
Gamma knife radiosurgery for malignant melanoma brain metastases is safe and effective and provides a high rate of durable local control. Improved survival can be achieved in patients with single metastasis, controlled systemic disease, and a high Karnofsky performance score.
Mathieu
David
D
Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
Kondziolka
Douglas
D
Cooper
Patrick B
PB
Flickinger
John C
JC
Niranjan
Ajay
A
Agarwala
Sanjiv
S
Kirkwood
John
J
Lunsford
L Dade
LD
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D016634:Radiosurgery / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome