The malignant melanoma of the uvea

Within the framework of a clinical study carried out jointly by the Tuebingen Medical Institute of Radiotherapy and the Opthalmological Clinic of Tuebingen University during the period between 1977 and 1982, a total of 52 patients were treated for a malignant melanoma of the uvea. Three different methods of treatment were used: (1) Radiation subsequent to enucleation using a total dose of 60 Gy (1977-1980). (2) Radiation before as well as after enucleation using doses of 12 and 50 Gy, respectively (1980-1982). (3) Radiation solely prior to enucleation or block excision using doses of 12 or 20 Gy (1980-1982). For clinical assessment, the patients were mainly classified according to tumour size and tumour localisation, histology, survival rates and the presence of remote metastases. The % proportion of undesirable responses to radiation was determined separately for each of the three methods of treatment. It was established that radiotherapy carried out solely before enucleation or block excision was associated with considerably lower an incidence of side-effects as compared to radiation before and after enucleation or only subsequent to surgery. (orig./MG)