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Strontium-90 may be safer than other agents for brachytherapy of choroidal melanoma
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Strontium-90 brachytherapy is as effective as iodine or ruthenium brachytherapy for small to medium-size choroidal melanomas but causes fewer complications over the long term, according to a study.
Rita van Ginderdeuren and colleagues at the University of Leuven, Belgium, analyzed 98 eyes with choroidal melanoma that were treated with strontium-90 brachytherapy between 1983 and 2000. The mean follow-up time was 6.7 years.
After 18 years, the actuarial melanoma-free patient survival rate was 85%. The actuarial rate of ocular conservation and complete tumor regression was 90% after 15 years. In 93% of patients, local tumor control was achieved, and 88% showed a stable scar. Tumor recurrence on the border caused enucleation of six eyes. In three cases, retinal detachment was the end point. Actuarial rate of preservation of visual acuity of 1/10 was 65% at 5 years and 45% at 15 years.
The study is published in the October issue of the British Journal of Ophthalmology.