Clinical features and survival outcomes of ocular melanoma in a multi-ethnic Asian cohort

Sci Rep. 2020 Oct 1;10(1):16367. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-73534-x.

Abstract

Ocular melanomas are uncommon cancers in Southeast Asia unlike in the West. We conducted a retrospective review of patients (n = 44) with histologically-proven ocular melanoma within a multi-ethnic Asian cohort from Singapore. Clinicopathological features and relapse patterns were examined, and survival outcomes of interest included recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariable Cox proportional regression. The study cohort included 18 male and 26 female patients, with a median age of 52 years (range 8-78). Median follow-up was 154 months. For uveal melanomas (n = 29), the 5-year RFS and OS was 56.8% and 76.6%, respectively; whilst for conjunctival melanomas (n = 15), the 5-year RFS and OS was 30.1% and 68.8%, respectively. Fifteen patients (38.5%) eventually developed metastasis, following which the median survival was only 17 months. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that higher T stage was a significant independent predictor for both OS (HR 8.69, 95% CI 1.03 to 73.09, p = 0.047) and RFS (HR 11.62, 95% CI 2.45 to 55.00, p = 0.002). Smoking history was independently predictive of better RFS (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.78, p = 0.030). In conclusion, our study demonstrates the poor ocular melanoma outcomes in Southeast Asians, highlighting the necessity for urgent research in this area of unmet clinical need.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Child
  • Disease-Free Survival
  • Ethnicity
  • Eye Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Eye Neoplasms / mortality
  • Eye Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Melanoma / diagnosis*
  • Melanoma / mortality
  • Melanoma / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Singapore
  • Survival Analysis
  • Survival Rate
  • Young Adult