Melanoma Treatment - Radiation Therapy

In the adjuvant setting (resected melanoma), radiation therapy is used to prevent a local recurrence of the melanoma. This therapy is often used when clear margins are not obtainable, when there are matted lymph nodes or extracapsular extension in the affected lymph nodes.

Radiation Schedule & Oncology Team

Radiation therapy can be delivered on a variety of schedules. Therapy is planned by a radiation oncologist, a physician specially trained in radiation therapy. The radiation oncology team is comprised of physicians, physicists, nurses, and radiation technicians specially trained in radiation oncology.

Radiation for Metastatic Melanoma

In the metastatic setting, radiation therapy is often used to treat isolated melanoma metastases or to relieve symptoms caused by a specific melanoma lesion. Radiation therapy is often used to treat brain metastases resulting from melanoma as well as metastatic bone lesions.

Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Another specialized type of radiation therapy is stereotactic radiosurgery. This type of radiation delivers a very high dose of radiation therapy to a specific area. Gamma Knife and Cyber Knife are two types of stereotactic radiosurgery.