Objective: To evaluate tumor control and treatment complications following plaque radiotherapy combined with transpupillary thermotherapy for choroidal melanoma.
Design: Prospective noncomparative interventional case series.
Intervention: All patients received treatment for choroidal melanoma using plaque radiotherapy followed by 3 sessions of transpupillary thermotherapy provided at plaque removal and at 4-month intervals.
Participants: Two hundred seventy patients with newly diagnosed choroidal melanoma.
Main outcome measures: The 2 main outcome measures included local tumor recurrence and treatment-related complications. The clinical data regarding patient features, tumor features, radiotherapy and thermotherapy parameters were analyzed for their effect on the 2 main outcomes using Cox proportional hazards regression models.
Results: Prior to treatment, the median base of the tumor was 11 mm (range, 4-21 mm) and the median thickness was 4 mm (range, 2-9 mm). Most tumors were located in the posterior pole with a median proximity of 2 mm to the foveola and 2 mm to the optic disc. The median radiotherapy dose to the tumor apex was 9000 rad. Transpupillary thermotherapy was applied in 3 sessions at 4-month intervals for a median of 700 mW. The tumor decreased in thickness to a median of 2.3 mm by 1 year and 2.1 mm by 2 years' follow-up with stable findings thereafter. Using Kaplan-Meier estimates, tumor recurrence was 2% at 2 years and 3% at 5 years. Risk factors for tumor recurrence included macular location of the tumor epicenter (P =.03), diffuse tumor configuration (P =.005), and tumor margin extending underneath the foveola (P =.001). Using Kaplan-Meier estimates, treatment-related complications at 5 years included maculopathy in 18% of the participants, papillopathy in 38%, macular retinal vascular obstruction in 18%, vitreous hemorrhage in 18%, rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in 2%, cataract in 6%, and neovascular glaucoma in 7%. Enucleation for radiation complications was necessary in 3 cases (1%).
Conclusion: Plaque radiotherapy combined with transpupillary thermotherapy provides excellent local tumor control with only 3% recurrence at 5 years' follow-up.