Radiation Therapy and Concurrent Cisplatin Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced or Metastatic Malignant Melanoma

This is a phase II, prospective trial designed to determine the response rate achieved with cisplatin delivered concurrent with radiation therapy in locally advanced or metastatic melanoma. Radiation therapy will be delivered concurrent with cisplatin chemotherapy as outlined in table 2. Radiation therapy dose will be 50 Gy (2.5 Gy per day, 5 days per week, for 20 treatments). Cisplatin dose will be 100 mg/m2 given i.v. every 3 weeks for a total of 2 doses (days 1 and 22) during radiation. Surgical resection of residual (or recurrent) melanoma for cure or for palliation may be performed following chemoradiation if deemed appropriate by the treating physicians (surgical resection may be planned following pre-operative chemoradiation or may be performed for salvage due to inadequate response to chemoradiation or for relapse following chemoradiation). Surgical resection will not be performed until at least 4 weeks following chemoradiation (unless deemed emergent by the treating physicians). If the patient's tumor has inadequate response to chemoradiation then salvage therapies can be used as deemed appropriate by the treating physicians. In order to allow adequate response to radiation therapy, salvage therapies will not be utilized until at least 4 weeks following chemoradiation unless deemed emergent by the treating physicians.