BACKGROUND Uveal melanoma is the most common malignancy of the adult eye. The overall mortality rate is high because this aggressive cancer often metastasizes before ophthalmic diagnosis. Quantitative proteomic analysis of primary metastasizing and non-metastasizing tumors was pursued for insights into mechanisms and biomarkers of uveal melanoma metastasis. METHODS Eight metastatic and 7 non-...

PURPOSE To analyse survival from uveal melanoma diagnosed in England and Wales between 1986-1999 and followed up to 2001. METHODS Data from the National Cancer Registry at the Office for National Statistics were analysed. The data were compiled from population-based cancer registries covering all of England and Wales for all adults (aged 15-99) diagnosed with primary ocular malignancy, exclud...

Uveal melanoma represents the most prevalent form of primary malignant intraocular tumor in adults. Historically, enucleation was considered gold-standard approach treatment uveal melanoma. Currently, radiotherapy is commonly used therapy, aiming at a better quality life. However, can result several ocular complications, some which may be vision-threatening. Radiation-induced dry eye, scleral n...

BACKGROUND Evaluation of the protein osteopontin (OPN) as a potential new marker in comparison to melanoma inhibitory activity (MIA) for screening and detection of metastatic uveal melanoma. METHODS Plasma levels of 32 patients with uveal melanoma were analyzed for OPN and MIA by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fourteen of these patients had clinically detectable liver metastases. ...

Truncating germline mutations in the tumor suppressor gene BRCA-1 associated protein-1 (BAP1) have been reported in families predisposed to developing a wide range of different cancer types including uveal melanoma and cutaneous melanoma. There has also been an association between amelanotic tumor development and germline BAP1 mutation suggesting a possible phenotypic characteristic of BAP1 mut...

BACKGROUND: Malignant melanoma of the uveal tract is a rare malignancy but a significant cause of mortality and visual loss. Approximately 50% of patients diagnosed with a melanoma of the choroid or ciliary body will die of the disease within 15 years of enucleation. METHODS: The author reviewed the current literature on the clinical findings, epidemiology, and treatment of uveal melanoma. RESU...

PURPOSE To identify genes that modify metastatic risk in uveal melanoma, a type of cancer that is valuable for studying metastasis because of its remarkably consistent metastatic pattern and well-characterized gene expression signature associated with metastasis. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN We analyzed 53 primary uveal melanomas by gene expression profiling, array-based comparative genomic hybridizat...

The many secrets of uveal melanoma are being uncovered. Information on host and environmental factors that predispose to uveal melanoma has been published. The most important factors include light eye colour, fair skin, inability to tan and chronic sun exposure. Clinical clues that are visible on ophthalmoscopy have been shown to be significant factors in predicting growth of small borderline t...

PURPOSE Controversy exists over melanogenesis of adult human RPE cells in vitro. This study investigated melanin content and production and expression of tyrosinase (TYR), tyrosinase-related-protein-1 (TRP1), tyrosinase-related-protein-2 (TRP2), and P gene in cultured human RPE cells and uveal melanoma cells. METHODS RPE cells were isolated and cultured from three adult donor eyes. A continuo...

BACKGROUND Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression has previously been identified in uveal melanoma although the biological role of COX-2 in this intraocular malignancy has not been elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a COX-2 inhibitor on the proliferation rate of human uveal melanoma cells, as well as its effect on the cytotoxic response of macrophages. METHODS Human uveal ...