ABOUT UVEAL MELANOMA

Quick Facts

• Uveal melanoma is the most common eye cancer in adults.
• Although it is called melanoma, it is much rarer than skin melanoma, approximately 200 people are diagnosed in Canada each year.
• Treatment options include radiation therapy and surgery. There is no chemotherapy for uveal melanoma.
• There is no cure for metastatic uveal melanoma; however, there are treatment options
• Treatment can be successful if the tumours in the eye are caught early
• If you are diagnosed with uveal melanoma, you are not alone, there are support programs and people to help you!

Types of Uveal Melanoma

The uvea is three-layered part of the eye. It is made up of the choroid, iris and ciliary body. Uveal melanoma can form in any of these layers and is named for where it forms:

• Choroidal melanoma begins in the layer of blood vessels – the choroid – beneath the retina. It is the most common type of uveal melanoma.
• Iris melanoma occurs in the front, colored part of the eye. Iris melanomas usually grow slowly and do not typically metastasize, or spread, to other parts of the body outside the eye.
• Ciliary melanoma occurs in the back part of the eye – in the ciliary body. Melanomas in the ciliary body tend to grow and metastasize to the liver more quickly than iris melanomas.