Radiotherapy in nonlentiginous melanoma of the head and neck

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Abstract
Thirty‐seven patients with superficial spreading or nodular melanoma of the head and neck treated with irradiation are reviewed. Twenty‐one patients were referred within three months of surgery. Six had an incisional biopsy followed by postoperative irradiation, 4 were locally controlled (1 dying of metastatic melanoma, 2 dying of intercurrent disease and 1 is alive and well), and 2 were not (both dead of melanoma). Fifteen patients had a local excisional biopsy (11 having tumor to the limits of the excision) followed by postoperative irradiation. Fourteen of the 15 had local control (3 had lymph node metastases and died, 3 died of distant metastases from melanoma, 7 are alive and well from 1‐14 years following treatment, and one is dead of intercurrent disease), and 1 had a local recurrence and subsequently died of metastatic melanoma. Sixteen patients were irradiated for local and/or regionally recurrent disease following unsuccessful surgery, and only two were successfully controlled by irradiation and are alive and well at four and five years, respectively. Local control was 70% when a dose per fraction of greater than 400 rads was used, compared with 25% when a dose per fraction of less than 400 rads was used. It is concluded that nonlentiginous melanoma of the head and neck is not a radioresistant tumor and that local excision followed by high dose per fraction radiotherapy deserves further study in the management of melanomas of the head and neck.