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Adjuvant radiotherapy decreased risk for lymph node cancer recurrence in high-risk melanoma
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Patients with high-risk melanoma treated with radiation after surgery had significantly lower risk for cancer recurrence in their lymph nodes compared with patients who did not undergo radiation.
Bryan Burmeister, MD, radiation oncologist at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, presented findings from this multicenter, randomized trial.
“In some institutions, radiation treatment is routine protocol, while in others, the protocol has been either for patients to just be observed or receive some type of adjuvant chemotherapy or immunotherapy,” Burmeister said.
“Results of this trial now confirm the place of radiation therapy in the management of patients who have high-risk features following surgery for melanoma involving the lymph nodes.”
Patients from 16 cancer centers who underwent lymphadenectomy for melanoma (n=217) were randomly assigned to radiation treatment within 12 weeks after surgery or to observation. The trial took place from March 2002 to September 2007 and had a median follow-up of 27 months.
The risk for cancer returning to the lymph nodes was 19% in patients treated with radiation vs. 31% in those not treated, suggesting significant improvement in the control of regional recurrence among patients who underwent radiation therapy.
The HR for developing recurrence was 1.77 for patients in the observation arm compared to those who underwent radiation (95% CI, 1.02-3.08). However, researchers found no statistically significant difference in median survival between the two groups (31 months vs. 47 months).
“Adding radiation to the treatment of high-risk melanoma patients is a viable option,” Burmeister said during a press conference.
For more information:
- Burmeister B. #3.