Histopatholgy Studies in Choroidal Melanomas After Unsuccessful Brachytherapy with ¹⁰⁶Ru/¹⁰⁶Rh Plaques

Abstract

High dose irradiation employing brachytherapy, helium ions, and protons has proven to be an effective treatment for small and medium-sized melanomas. Unfortunately, results have been unpredictable; some tumors show complete or partial regression, some regrow after initial shrinkage, and others may grow during irradiation. Those tumors which progress require enucleation. We have studied 25 eyes that had to be enucleated due to failure of ¹⁰⁶Ru/¹⁰⁶Rh plaque treatment, hoping to find reasons for the radiosensitivity of most choroidal melanomas versus the radioresistance of others in the histologic picture.