Conjunctival melanoma

An international study found metastasis occurred in 10% of conjunctival melanoma patients, with the liver and lungs the most commonly reported sites (45% each).

A total of 288 patients with conjunctival melanoma were recruited from nine countries. Of these, 29 developed metastases, with five of them having metastasis at presentation and exhibiting tumour-surface ulceration. Those presenting with metastasis had shorter survival times, said authors led by Dr Puneet Jain, Eye Cancer Center, New York, writing in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Authors reported 71% of those developing metastatic conjunctival melanoma had died by the end of the study. Tumour-specific characteristics including American Joint Committee on Cancer cT3-category, conjunctival location and surface ulceration were associated with highest metastatic risk.