The fundamentals of uveal melanoma.

Although rare, uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor in adults. Over the past 50 years, the incidence in North America has been stable, with 4.3 per million (or about 1,500 cases per year) being newly diagnosed (Sato, Han, & Yamamoto, 2008). Uveal melanoma differs from cutaneous melanoma in a variety of ways, such as primary treatment, metastatic pattern, and overall chemoresistance. Many of the classic chemotherapy regimens used in metastatic skin melanoma, such as dacarbazine or high-dose bolus interleukin-2, are ineffective when used in metastatic uveal melanoma. This article will review primary uveal melanoma.