Abstract
We reviewed the records of 17 patients with posterior uveal malignant melanoma who had been followed for at least 3 months prior to cobalt plaque radiotherapy and whose tumor had been documented to enlarge in thickness during that interval. We evaluated the relationship between the rates of pretreatment tumor enlargement and post-treatment tumor shrinkage using linear regression analysis. We found that the rate of postirradiation tumor shrinkage correlated strongly with the rate of preirradiation tumor enlargement regardless of whether the pretreatment rate of growth was slow, intermediate or rapid. We speculate that the more rapidly regressing tumors were more mitotically active than their more slowly regressing counterparts. If true, the survival rate of patients whose posterior uveal malignant melanomas regress rapidly following radiation therapy may prove to be worse than that of patients whose tumors regress slowly.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Augsburger JJ (1982) Surgical update on tumors of the posterior segment: alternatives to enucleation in the management of posterior uveal malignant melanomas at Wills Eye Hospital. Trans Pa Acad Ophthalmol Otolaryngol 35:125–131
Augsburger JJ, Gamel JW, Bailey RS, Donoso LA, Gonder JR, Shields JA (1985) Accuracy of clinical estimates of tumor dimensions: a clinical-pathologic correlation study of posterior uveal melanomas. Retina 5:26–29
Bergonie J, Tribondeau L (1959) Interpretation of some results of radiotherapy and an attempt at determining a logical technique of treatment. Radiation Res 11:587–588 (translated from original paper in Coll Royal Acad Sci in 1906; 143:983)
Char DH, Castro JR, Quivey JM, Chen GTY, Lyman JT, Stone RD, Irvine AR, Barricks M, Crawford JB, Hilton GE, Lonn LI, Schwartz A (1980a) Helium ion charged particle therapy for choroidal melanoma. Ophthalmology 87:565–570
Char DH, Stone RD, Irvine AR, Crawford JB, Hilton GF, Lonn LI, Schwartz A (1980b) Diagnostic modalities in choroidal melanoma. Am J Ophthalmol 89:223–230
Cruess AF, Augsburger JJ, Shields JA, Brady LW, Markoe AM, Day JL (1984) Regression of posterior uveal melanomas following Cobalt-60 plaque radiotherapy. Ophthalmology 91:1716–1719
Fletcher G (1973) Clinical parameters of radiotherapy. In: Fletcher GH (ed) Textbook of radiotherapy, 2nd edn. Lea & Febiger, Philadelphia, p 129
Gragoudas ES, Goitein M, Koehler A, Constable IJ, Wagner MA, Verhey L, Tepper J, Suit HD, Brockhurst RJ, Schneider RJ, Johnson KN (1978) Proton irradiation of choroidal melanomas. Preliminary results. Arch Ophthalmol 96:1583–1591
Hellman S (1982) Principles of radiation therapy. In: DeVita VT Jr, Hellman S, Rosenberg SA (eds) Cancer. Principles and practice of oncology. J.B. Lippincott, Philadelphia, pp 103–131
Lommatzsch PK (1977) Treatment of choroidal melanomas with106Ru/106Rh beta-ray applicators. Trans Ophthalmol Soc UK 97:428–429
Sealy R, Le Roux PLM, Rapley F, Hering E, Shackleton D, Sevel D (1976) The treatment of ophthalmic tumours with low energy sources. Br J Radiol 49: 551–554
Shields JA, Augsburger JJ, Brady LW, Day JL (1982) Cobalt plaque therapy of posterior uveal melanomas. Ophthalmology 89:1201–1207
Stallard HB (1959) Malignant melanoma of the choroid treated with radioactive applicators. Trans Ophthalmol Soc UK 79:373–388
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Augsburger, J.J., McNeary, B.T., von Below, H. et al. Regression of posterior uveal malignant melanomas after cobalt plaque radiotherapy. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 224, 397–400 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02173352
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02173352