NO DEMONSTRATED EFFECT OF PREENUCLEATION IRRADIATION ON SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH UVEAL MELANOMA

PURPOSE: To evaluate the hypothetical effect of pre-enucleation irradi ation on survival of patients with uveal melanoma. METHODS: In a prosp ective study between 1978 and 1990, 145 patients with uveal melanoma w ere treated by irradiation in two fractions of 4 Gy before enucleation . A historical control group of 89 patients with uveal melanoma treate d by enucleation alone was operated on between 1971 and 1990. Patients were followed up until December 1992 or until death. The mean follow up period was 65 months in the irradiated group and 88 months in the c ontrol group. RESULTS: The preoperatively irradiated group of patients showed no significant improvement of the survival rate after 7 1/2 ye ars (75.9%) compared with the control group (72.1%). Preoperative irra diation was not associated with survival (P = .93), as assessed by Cox proportional hazard analysis, adjusted for age, gender, tumor locatio n, tumor size, cell type, and year of enucleation. Women in both the i rradiated and control groups had a better prognosis than men (P =.002) . CONCLUSION: Preoperative irradiation in this nonrandomized study had no effect on survival of patients with uveal melanoma.