Evidence-Based Estimates of Outcome in Patients Irradiated for Intraocular Melanoma

Abstract

UVEAL MELANOMA is an uncommon intraocular malignancy, occurring in fewer than 2000 new patients in the United States each year.¹ It is the only intraocular disease that is commonly fatal. Until the introduction of radiation therapy in the 1960s, enucleation was the standard therapy for ocular melanoma. However, a variety of alternative approaches have been attempted in an effort to salvage the eye while eradicating the primary tumor.^2-10 Among these, radiation therapy has the widest applicability. The 2 major forms of radiation therapy used in the treatment of these tumors are brachytherapy, in which radiation is delivered through a radioactive plaque sutured to the sclera over the base of the melanoma, and external beam irradiation using proton and helium ion beams.