Mitigating Local Recurrence Risk for Melanoma Patients with Microsatellites

Primary melanoma tumors can have small nests of cancer cells called “microsatellites” neighboring the primary tumor. The presence of microsatellitosis has been associated with worse clinical outcomes, including elevated risk of local recurrence, which can require more aggressive surgeries and higher intensity systemic therapies to address. Decreasing local recurrence can prevent the pain, potential disfigurement, and toxicities associated with these treatments. While radiation therapy has historically been used to decrease the risk of local recurrences without excessive toxicity, its role in the modern treatment era is not known. The proposed study aims to determine if post-operative radiation therapy in the immunotherapy era is associated with better local tumor control. If the study finds a positive association, the results could be used to ensure that all primary melanoma patients receive optimal therapy to minimize their recurrence risk and need for further treatments to the primary tumor site