Is choroidal melanoma fatal?
If it spreads, this cancer can be fatal. Although choroidal melanoma is rare, it is the most common eye cancer in adults. It usually occurs in people who are middle-aged or older.
Is choroidal melanoma curable?
Large-sized Choroidal Melanoma: This is because the amount of radiation required to destroy a choroidal melanoma that fills most of the eye will likely be too much for the eye to tolerate. However, most patients, even with very large-sized choroidal melanoma can be treated with eye-sparing radiation therapy.
What is the prognosis of choroidal melanoma?
Choroidal melanoma is a disease with a high mortality rate, usually irrespective of the chosen treatment modality. About 30-50% of patients with choroidal melanoma will die within 10 years from diagnosis and treatment. Death is usually secondary to distant metastases, and the risk is greatest in larger tumors.
Does choroidal melanoma cause pain?
Rarely, choroidal melanomas can impinge into underlying posterior ciliary nerves, causing severe ocular pain. Other signs and symptoms can result if the tumor grows anteriorly, pathologically involving the ciliary body, trabecular meshwork, and lens, with consequent ocular hypotension or hypertension and cataract.
Can a choroidal melanoma be benign?
They are benign, usually do not change with time, and require no treatment. The resultant serous retinal detachment and retinal elevation secondary to exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) poses another differential for choroidal melanoma.
What size is a large choroidal melanoma?
Size Category Classification Table for Ciliary Body and Choroid Melanoma
| Thickness (mm) | Category | |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1 to 9.0 | 2 | 4 |
| 3.1 to 6.0 | 1 | 4 |
| Less than 3.0 | 1 | 4 |
| Largest basal diameter (mm) | Less than 3.0 mm | Larger than 18.0 mm |
What are the early symptoms of choroidal melanoma?
This cancer often doesn’t cause any symptoms in its early stages. The tumor may grow for some time before the problem becomes noticeable. When symptoms occur, they include. having blurry vision. seeing spots. seeing flashing lights. having severe eye pain.
Can a person with choroidal melanoma keep their eye?
Medium-sized Choroidal Melanoma (AJCC T3 and T4): After radiation for large choroidal melanoma, these eyes are at greater risk to have poor vision, to become uncomfortable and may have to be secondarily removed. However, most patients would prefer to keep their eye even if it has or develops poor vision.
What are the treatment options for choroidal melanoma?
If the size of the tumor is increasing, then treatment needs to start immediately, so that metastases can be restricted. Surgical intervention and radiation therapy are the usual treatment for large or medium sized choroidal melanomas. Different techniques are used for radiation therapy. A tiny metal device is available to provide local radiation.
What are the risk factors for choroidal melanoma?
These factors include thickness over 2 mm, subretinal fluid, symptoms, orange pigment, tumor margin near the optic disc, lack of chronic drusen, lack of surrounding halo, and hollowness on ultrasonography. These risk factors are critical to judging the malignant potential of a small, pigmented choroidal tumor.