Randomized Trial of Postoperative Radiation Therapy After Wide Excision of Neurotropic Melanoma of the Head and Neck (RTN2 Trial 01.09)

Abstract Background Cutaneous neurotropic melanoma (NM) of the head and neck (H 95% confidence interval CI 0.03–2.76; p = 0.279). No statistically significant difference in time to any relapse or OS was observed. More than 6 months after randomization, grade 3 or greater toxicity was experienced by 10% of the participants in the observation arm and 12.5% of the participants in the RT arm of the study. Conclusion Due to low accrual, the role of adjuvant RT for cutaneous NM of the H&N excised with microscopically negative margins 5 mm wide or wider remains undefined. Its routine use cannot be recommended. Local relapse might be less common than previously anticipated based on retrospective reports.