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Pathologic complete response of a solitary melanoma brain metastasis after local ablative radiation therapy: case report

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Abstract

A 73-year-old female with malignant melanoma metastatic to her left frontal lobe status post-gross total resection of the metastasis, whole brain radiotherapy, and Gamma Knife-based stereotactic radiosurgery for local recurrence presented with an area of increasing enhancement on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hypermetabolic lesions on 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (18FDG PET/CT) of the brain suspicious for tumor recurrence. Surgical resection of the lesion was performed showing radiation necrosis with no evidence of tumor. The patient was alive 1 year after her second craniotomy. This case illustrates that despite being perceived as a radioresistant histology, complete local eradication of melanoma is possible with ablative dose regimens. Prolonged survival is possible in patients with limited metastatic melanoma if local tumor control is achieved.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mount Carmel Health System, Columbus, OH, USA

    Steven Register

  2. Department of Radiation Medicine, The Ohio State University Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital, 300 W 10th Avenue, Suite 088A, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    James W. Clarke & Simon S. Lo

  3. Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA

    Abhik Ray Chaudhury

Authors
  1. Steven Register
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  2. James W. Clarke
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  3. Abhik Ray Chaudhury
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  4. Simon S. Lo
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Correspondence to Simon S. Lo.

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Register, S., Clarke, J.W., Chaudhury, A.R. et al. Pathologic complete response of a solitary melanoma brain metastasis after local ablative radiation therapy: case report. Med Oncol 27, 1208–1211 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9360-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12032-009-9360-3

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