Standard Treatment Systemic therapy using immunological or chemotherapy agents or regional therapy with radiation ( see "Treatment Overview" ).
Five-Year Survival Less than 10 percent
Eye Melanomas
Standard Treatment Small tumors are usually followed closely by direct observation by
an ophthalmologist, who uses a slit lamp and ultrasound or CT scanning to chart the exact diameter and height of the lesions. If they become large, they can be treated in the same way as medium and large melanomas.
Such medium and large melanomas are treated either by removing the eye (enucleation) or by applying radioactive plaques.
If the melanoma extends outside the eye to the surrounding bone, the prognosis is very poor. Surgical treatment combined with radiation therapy is usually given, but there is no solid evidence that this intensive therapy alters the bad outcome.
