RADIO-HYPERTHERMIA IN POSTSURGICAL RECURRENCE OF MELANOMA

Aims and background: Malignant melanoma is one of the most radioresist ant tumors. It can be treated with combinated hyperthermia and radiati on therapy. Methods: From January 1991 through June 1992, 7 patients, 1 male and 6 female, aged 40-88 years (mean 75), with skin and nodal p ostsurgical recurrences of melanoma, were treated with a combination o f radiation therapy and hyperthermia. Two patients presented systemic disease when they reached our observation, but all of them were withou t symptoms. None of them underwent surgical excision of the recurrence before or during thermoradiotherapy. None received chemotherapy for t hese recurrences or had received radiotherapy in the past. They were i rradiated with electron beams, with electron energies selected accordi ng to the depth of the lesions. The total dose was 40 Gy in 19 fractio ns in 5 weeks. Hyperthermia was administered for 10 minutes to 1 hour after irradiation. An inductive method of radiofrequency heating at 43 4 of 915 MHz was used depending on the depth of the lesions. In all of these treatments a ionized water bolus was used. The prescribed hyper thermic dose was 42 degrees C for half a hour. The treatments were car ried out twice a week for 5 weeks. A fiberoptic multichannel thermomet er was used for thermometry. Results: Four patients (57%) achieved a c omplete response, 2 patients (29%) a partial response, and 1 patient ( 14%) stabilization. We found no correlation between tumor volume and r esponse rate. Site effects and complications of the treatment were min imal (moderate erythema). Conclusions Our results are in the wide rang e of values reported in the literature.