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Adjuvant radiation therapy for regional nodal metastases from malignant melanoma. A randomized, prospective study. [Complications of local nodal irradiation]

Journal Article · · Cancer; (United States)
OSTI ID:6203024
After nodal metastasis from malignant melanoma, approximately 80% of patients die from disseminated disease. To clarify the role of radiation therapy (XRT) following node dissection, 56 patients with biopsy-proven nodal metastasis participated in a randomized, prospective clinical trial which compares radiation therapy to the regional lymph node area following lymphadenectomy (27 patients) with lymphadenectomy alone (29 patients). Interesting differences in the survival curves (p = 0.09) and in the disease-free interval curves (p = 0.08) for the two treatment groups proved to be attributable to imbalances in the age and nodal distributions in the treatment groups. Covariate analysis identified age and sex as the factors having the most significant (p < 0.04) effect on survival and identified the number of positive nodes as the covariate having the most significant (p < 0.02) effect on disease-free interval. Treatment did not have a significant effect upon survival or disease-free interval.
Research Organization:
Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, MN
OSTI ID:
6203024
Journal Information:
Cancer; (United States), Journal Name: Cancer; (United States) Vol. 42:5; ISSN CANCA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English