Adjuvant whole-brain radiotherapy ‘should not be recommended’ for certain patients with melanoma brain metastases

Source: Healio, November 2019

Patients who underwent definitive local treatment of one to three melanoma brain metastases did not attain significant clinical benefit from adjuvant whole-brain radiotherapy, according to results of a randomized phase 3 trial published in Journal of Clinical Oncology.

However, the local failure rate appeared significantly lower with whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) compared with observation alone.

“For patients who have had definitive local treatment of one to three melanoma brain metastases using either surgery or stereotactic radiosurgery, adjuvant WBRT does not provide any significant clinical benefit and should not be recommended,” Angela M. Hong, MBBS, PhD, researcher at Melanoma Institute Australia and clinical professor of medicine at University of Sydney Central Clinical School, and colleagues wrote.