title: Adjuvant radiotherapy for cutaneous melanoma.
abstract: The purpose of the current study was to discuss the efficacy of adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) in the treatment of melanoma by reviewing the pertinent literature. The risk of locoregional recurrence after surgery alone for locally advanced melanoma is relatively high. The likelihood of a positive sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) exceeds 20% for melanomas>2 mm thick and approximately>or=20% of those patients with positive SLNB will be found to have residual positive lymph nodes on completion lymph node dissection. Patients with positive regional lymph nodes have an approximately>or=20% risk of regional recurrence after surgery alone, particularly if multiple lymph nodes are involved and/or extracapsular extension is present. Postoperative adjuvant RT results in locoregional control rates of 85% to 90% or higher in high-risk patients with a modest risk of complications. The impact of adjuvant RT on survival is likely minimal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida 32610-0385, USA. mendwm@shands.ufl.edu
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Amdur
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Grobmyer
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Werning
authors.forename: Steven N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Hochwald
authors.forename: Nancy P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Mendenhall
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008545:Melanoma / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery