In a nutshell
This study looked at the use of robotic-assisted CyberKnife radiosurgery to treat iris melanomas. It found that this is a promising treatment for iris melanoma.
Some background
Melanomas are the most common tumors of the eye. Eye melanomas usually occur at the back of the eye, but sometimes they affect the iris (the colored ring) at the front of the eye. This is called an iris melanoma.
Iris melanomas are often less aggressive than other melanomas and less likely to spread elsewhere. This means that they can often be treated with localized radiation therapy to the affected area. Robotic-assisted CyberKnife (RACK) surgery is a type of radiation therapy where the radiation is directed to the correct place using a robotic arm. The effectiveness of RACK surgery for the treatment of iris melanoma is under investigation.
Methods & findings
8 patients with iris melanoma were involved in this study. Patients were treated with RACK radiosurgery. Patients were followed up for an average of 27 months after radiosurgery.
RACK radiosurgery reduced the thickness of the tumor by an average of 0.7 mm. 4 patients had stable or improved vision after treatment, while 4 patients had reduced vision.
4 patients developed glaucoma (increased pressure in the eye) after radiosurgery. 3 of these received eye drops to reduce eye pressure and 1 patient received glaucoma surgery. None of the patients had tumor recurrence or cancer spread during follow up and none needed to have the eye removed.
The bottom line
This study showed that robotic-assisted CyberKnife radiosurgery is a promising treatment for iris melanomas, with similar results to radiation therapy.
The fine print
This study involved a very small number of patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm these results.
Published By :
Scientific reports
Date :
Mar 11, 2021
