Photo Credit: Todorean Gabriel

The following is a summary of “Non-Conditional and Conditional Metastasis of Uveal Melanoma Per Millimeter-By-Millimeter in Thickness in 8034 Patients,” published in the November 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Sener et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to evaluate the impact of uveal melanoma thickness on survival from presentation and at specific intervals following metastasis-free survival. 

They analyzed data from 8,034 consecutive individuals diagnosed with uveal melanoma at a tertiary care ocular oncology center between May 1972 and August 2007. The tumor thickness was categorized by 1-mm increments, and non-conditional survival (from presentation date) and conditional survival (with 3, 5, and 10 years of metastasis-free survival) were assessed. The cumulative incidence of melanoma-related metastasis was evaluated at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 years. 

The results showed that the non-conditional metastasis incidence at 5, 10, 15, and 30 years was 8%, 11%, 12%, and 12%, respectively. The conditional cumulative metastasis incidence, with 5- and 10-year metastasis-free survival, showed a 30-year metastasis incidence of 10% and 8%, respectively. The multivariate Cox regression analysis indicated that each 1-mm increase in tumor thickness significantly (P < 0.05) raised the risk of metastasis [HR: 1.08 (95% CI: 1.05–1.11) for non-conditional survival, HR: 1.07 (95% CI: 1.03–1.11) for 3-year metastasis-free survival, HR: 1.09 (95% CI: 1.03–1.15) for 5-year metastasis-free survival, and HR: 1.17 (95% CI: 1.05–1.30) for 10-year metastasis-free survival. 

Investigators concluded the thicker uveal melanomas at presentation were associated with a poorer prognosis, but longer metastasis-free intervals were linked to a lower risk of metastatic disease, emphasizing the significance of both conditional and non-conditional survival. 

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08820538.2024.2432907