Radiotherapy influences local control in patients with desmoplastic melanoma

BACKGROUND Desmoplastic melanoma may have a high risk of local recurrence after wide excision. The authors hypothesized that adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) would improve local control in patients with desmoplastic melanoma, resulting in at least a 10% absolute decrease in local recurrence rate. METHODS A total of 277 patients from 1989 through 2010 who were treated for nonmetastatic desmoplastic melanoma by surgery with or without adjuvant RT were reviewed. Clinicopathologic and treatment variables were assessed with regard to their role in local control. RESULTS A total of 113 patients (40.8%) received adjuvant RT. After a median follow‐up of 43.1 months, adjuvant RT was found to be independently associated with improved local control on multivariable analysis (hazards ratio, 0.15; 95% confidence interval, 0.06‐0.39 [P 4 mm, or a Clark level V tumor, RT was found to significantly improve local control (P