Ten-year follow-up of helium ion therapy for uveal melanoma

Purpoe: To examine the reult of helium ion irradiation in 218 patient with uveal melanoma treated more than 10 year ago. Method: A retropective review wa made of 218 patient (218 eye) treated with helium ion radiation for uveal melanoma between 1978 and 1984. Reult: After helium ion irradiation, 208 (95.4%) of 218 eye had local tumor control. Ten year after irradiation, 46 (22.4%) of 218 eye had been enucleated; the majority of enucleation (37 of 46) reulted from anterior ocular egment complication. Ten year after radiation, 102 (46.8%) of the 218 patient were dead; 51 had non-melanoma-related death and 51 had died of metatatic melanoma. Bet-corrected viual acuity after radiation wa greater than 20/40 in 21 (23%) of 93 eye of the patient who were alive and who had retained their eye 10 or more year after treatment. In patient with tumor le than 6 mm in height and more than 3 mm ditant from the nerve or the fovea, 13 (72%) of 18 retained viual acuity greater than 20/40. In contrat, only 11% of the patient with either thicker tumor or thoe cloe to the nerve or fovea retained that level of viual acuity. Concluion: Helium ion irradiation of uveal melanoma i aociated with good local tumor control and reaonable retention of the treated eye 10 year after treatment. In eye with tumor le than 6 mm in thickne and more than 3 mm ditant from the optic nerve and fovea, many retain excellent viion.