Intraocular melanoma begins in the middle of three layers of the wall of the eye. The outer layer includes the white sclera (the "white of the eye") and the clear cornea at the front of the eye. The inner layer has a lining of nerve tissue, called the retina, which senses light and sends images along the optic nerve to the brain.
The middle layer, where intraocular melanoma forms, is called the uvea or uveal tract, and has three main parts:
The iris is the colored area at the front of the eye (the "eye color"). It can be seen through the clear cornea. The pupil is in the center of the iris, and it changes size to let more or less light into the eye. Intraocular melanoma of the iris is usually a small tumor that grows slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the body.
The ciliary body is a ring of tissue with muscle fibers that change the shape of the lens. It is found behind the iris. Changes in the shape of the lens help the eye focus. The ciliary body also makes the clear fluid that fills the space between the cornea and the iris. Intraocular melanoma of the ciliary body is often larger and more likely to spread to other parts of the body than intraocular melanoma of the iris.
The choroid is a layer of blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the eye. Most intraocular melanomas begin in the choroid. Intraocular melanoma of the choroid is often larger and more likely to spread to other parts of the body than intraocular melanoma of the iris.
Intraocular melanoma is a rare cancer that forms from cells that make melanin in the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. It is the most common eye cancer in adults.
Anything that increases a person's chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Not every person with one or more of these risk factors will develop intraocular melanoma, and it can develop in people who don't have any known risk factors. Talk with your doctor if you think you may be at risk.
Risk factors for intraocular melanoma include the following:
Intraocular melanoma may not cause early signs or symptoms. It is sometimes found during a regular eye exam when the doctor dilates the pupil and looks into the eye. These and other signs and symptoms may be caused by intraocular melanoma or by other conditions. Check with your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms that do not go away:
In addition to asking about your personal and family health history and doing a physical exam, your doctor may perform the following tests and procedures:
A biopsy is the removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. Rarely, a biopsy of the tumor is needed to diagnose intraocular melanoma. Tissue that is removed during a biopsy or surgery to remove the tumor may be tested to get more information about prognosis and which treatment options are best.
The following tests may be done on the sample of tissue:
A biopsy may result in retinal detachment (the retina separates from other tissues in the eye). This can be repaired by surgery.
The prognosis and treatment options depend on the following:
The process used to find out if cancer has spread to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment.
The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:
Cancer can spread through tissue, the lymph system, and the blood:
If intraocular melanoma spreads to the optic nerve or nearby tissue of the eye socket, it is called extraocular extension.
When cancer spreads to another part of the body, it is called metastasis. Cancer cells break away from where they began (the primary tumor) and travel through the lymph system or blood.
The metastatic tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if intraocular melanoma spreads to the liver, the cancer cells in the liver are actually intraocular melanoma cells. The disease is metastatic intraocular melanoma, not liver cancer.
The tumor is 5 to 16 millimeters in diameter and from 1 to 3 millimeters thick.
The tumor is 16 millimeters or smaller in diameter and from 3.1 to 8 millimeters thick.
The tumor is:
Though most intraocular melanoma tumors are raised, some are flat. These diffuse tumors grow widely across the uvea.
Intraocular melanoma of the ciliary body and choroid has four size categories. The category depends on how wide and thick the tumor is. Category 1 tumors are the smallest, and category 4 tumors are the largest.
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:
In stage I, the tumor is size category 1 and is in the choroid only.
Stage II is divided into stages IIA and IIB.
Stage III is divided into stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC.
In stage IV, the tumor may be any size and has spread:
The melanoma may come back in the eye or in other parts of the body.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with intraocular melanoma. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Surgery is the most common treatment for intraocular melanoma. The following types of surgery may be used:
Watchful waiting is closely monitoring a patient’s condition without giving any treatment until signs or symptoms appear or change. Pictures are taken over time to keep track of changes in the size of the tumor and how fast it is growing.
Watchful waiting is used for patients who do not have signs or symptoms, and the tumor is not growing. It is also used when the tumor is in the only eye with useful vision.
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. There are two types of radiation therapy:
The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated. External and internal radiation therapy are used to treat intraocular melanoma.
Photocoagulation is a procedure that uses laser light to destroy blood vessels that bring nutrients to the tumor, causing the tumor cells to die. Photocoagulation may be used to treat small tumors. This is also called light coagulation.
Thermotherapy is the use of heat from a laser to destroy cancer cells and shrink the tumor.
Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI website.
For information about side effects caused by treatment for cancer, visit our Side Effects page.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.
Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.
Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. Information about clinical trials supported by NCI can be found on NCI’s clinical trials search webpage. Clinical trials supported by other organizations can be found on the ClinicalTrials.gov website.
As you go through treatment, you will have follow-up tests or check-ups. Some tests that were done to diagnose or stage the cancer may be repeated to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back).
For information about the treatments listed below, see the Treatment Option Overview section.
Treatment of iris melanoma may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of ciliary body melanoma may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of small choroid melanoma may include the following:
Treatment of medium choroid melanoma may include the following:
Treatment of large choroid melanoma may include the following:
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
Treatment of extraocular extension melanoma that has spread to the bone around the eye may include the following:
An effective treatment for metastatic intraocular melanoma has not been found. A clinical trial may be a treatment option. Talk with your doctor about your treatment options.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
An effective treatment for recurrent intraocular melanoma has not been found. A clinical trial may be a treatment option. Talk with your doctor about your treatment options.
Use our clinical trial search to find NCI-supported cancer clinical trials that are accepting patients. You can search for trials based on the type of cancer, the age of the patient, and where the trials are being done. General information about clinical trials is also available.
For more information from the National Cancer Institute about intraocular (uveal) melanoma, see the Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma Home Page.
For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, visit:
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PDQ® Adult Treatment Editorial Board. PDQ Intraocular (Uveal) Melanoma Treatment. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute. Updated <MM/DD/YYYY>. Available at: https://www.cancer.gov/types/eye/patient/intraocular-melanoma-treatment-pdq. Accessed <MM/DD/YYYY>. [PMID: 26389277]
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