Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular cancer in adults with an incidence of less than one individual per 100,000 per year. Uveal melanoma can arise in the choroid, the ciliary body or the iris.
In almost 50% of patients the tumour disseminates to the liver and other parts of the body. Clinical and histopathological features associated with metastatic uveal melanoma include: large tumour diameter; epithelioid cytomorphology; closed connective tissue loops; and a high mitotic count. UM is also an unusual solid tumour in that gross chromosomal abnormalities are strongly associated with the development of metastasis and patient mortality.
In particular metastatic disease occurs almost exclusively in patients whose tumour shows chromosome 3 loss. In the absence of this abnormality, the prognosis for survival is extremely good.
Our laboratory research into uveal melanoma focusses on understanding the biological and genetic processes that make this cancer behave so aggressively. Our work has already enhanced prognostication, making it possible to predict the future health of our patients. We hope to gain a better understanding of tumour behaviour so that more effective treatments can be developed, thereby prolonging life.
Our clinical research has made it possible to save useful vision in eyes that would previously have been lost and treatment methods we have developed are now being adopted around the world. These include: various methods of local resection of choroidal melanoma; proton beam radiotherapy of iris melanoma; eccentric placement of ruthenium plaque in the treatment of choroidal melanoma; and biopsy of choroidal melanoma.
We are also investigating quality of life in patients with intraocular melanoma so that we can understand how patients react to their disease and its treatment and such insights will help us to anticipate and avert psychological difficulties.
In almost 50% of patients the tumour disseminates to the liver and other parts of the body. Clinical and histopathological features associated with metastatic uveal melanoma include: large tumour diameter; epithelioid cytomorphology; closed connective tissue loops; and a high mitotic count. UM is also an unusual solid tumour in that gross chromosomal abnormalities are strongly associated with the development of metastasis and patient mortality.
In particular metastatic disease occurs almost exclusively in patients whose tumour shows chromosome 3 loss. In the absence of this abnormality, the prognosis for survival is extremely good.
Our laboratory research into uveal melanoma focusses on understanding the biological and genetic processes that make this cancer behave so aggressively. Our work has already enhanced prognostication, making it possible to predict the future health of our patients. We hope to gain a better understanding of tumour behaviour so that more effective treatments can be developed, thereby prolonging life.
Our clinical research has made it possible to save useful vision in eyes that would previously have been lost and treatment methods we have developed are now being adopted around the world. These include: various methods of local resection of choroidal melanoma; proton beam radiotherapy of iris melanoma; eccentric placement of ruthenium plaque in the treatment of choroidal melanoma; and biopsy of choroidal melanoma.
We are also investigating quality of life in patients with intraocular melanoma so that we can understand how patients react to their disease and its treatment and such insights will help us to anticipate and avert psychological difficulties.
