Zapping brain tumors without zapping memory: new trial for melanoma patients

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * All patients with histologic proof of malignant melanoma. Histologic confirmation may be from the primary tumor site, or from another metastatic site (systemic lymph node, etc). Cytology-alone is not an acceptable method of diagnosis * Greater than 3 presumed melanoma brain metastases on contrast-enhanced brain MRI scan obtained no greater than 4 weeks prior to study registration * Patients must sign informed consent indicating that they are aware of the investigational nature of this study in keeping with the policies of the hospital * Patients must have Karnofsky performance status (KPS) \>= 70 * Patients must be eligible to have all lesions treated as determined by the study radiation oncologist * Creatinine clearance \> 30 ml/min * Platelets \> 50,000 * Patients should have normal coagulation (international normalized ratio \[INR\] \< 1.3) and be able to withhold anticoagulation/antiplatelet medications a minimum of 24 hours prior to radiosurgery treatment (or until INR normalizes), on the day of treatment and 24 hours after radiosurgery treatment has concluded * Patients can be undergoing concurrent systemic therapy, such as temozolomide, at the discretion of their treating oncologist Exclusion Criteria: * Patients are excluded if they have been treated with whole brain radiotherapy within the prior 3 months * Patients are excluded if they have a history of metastatic cancer in addition to melanoma or a history of uncontrolled non-metastatic cancer. Patients with localized squamous cell carcinoma and/or basal cell carcinoma are not excluded * Patients are excluded if there is radiographic or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) evidence of leptomeningeal disease * Female patients of childbearing age are excluded if they are pregnant as determined with a serum beta HCG no greater than 14 days prior to study registration, or breast-feeding. (The exclusion is made because gadolinium may be teratogenic in pregnancy) * Patients are excluded if there is any history of gadolinium allergy * Patients are excluded if they are unable to obtain a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan for any other reason