Introduction

To investigate the natural course of the uveal melanoma among octogenarians registered in single centre database.

Material and methods

The data of the patients treated for uveal melanoma at the Department of Ophthalmology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poland between 1991-2017 have been retrospectively reviewed. The survival data were obtained from the Greater Poland Cancer Registry. Patients were included in the study if they were 80 years old or more at time of the onset, they were excluded if there was no confirmed follow-up.

Results

Among 668 uveal melanoma patients registered in our database to 2017, 47 patients were 80 years old or more at the time of treatment: 19 men, 28 women, mean age 83,62 years (range: 80-93). 8 tumours were T1(17%), 12 – T2 (26%), 16 – T3 (34%), and 11 – T4 (23%). 33 (70%) tumours were managed by enucleation, 13 (28%) by ruthenium brachytherapy, 1 (2%) tumour was resected. With regards to irradiated patients we observed 1 recurrence 2 years after treatment. Median follow-up was 21 months (range: 2 to 104 months). 31 patients (66%) died by the study close, 17 (55%) of metastatic disease from uveal melanoma. Median time to metastatic death from uveal melanoma was 24 months.

Conclusions

Metastatic death from uveal melanoma in this particular group of patients was related to tumour size at the onset and epithelioid type of melanoma.