Eye Diseases Commons^™

Meeting Report From The 2025 Cure Ocular Melanoma (Cure Om) Global Science Meeting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 2025, Andrew E. Aplin, Katherina Alsina, Allison S. Betof, Joseph Birkett, Marcus O. Butler, George Cole, Rizwan Haq, Florian A. Karreth, Vinit B. Mahajan, Rahul Marpadga, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Paul Nathan, Jonas A. Nilsson, Gary Palmer, Joseph J. Sacco, Takami Sato, Sarah Stanhope, Pang-Ning Teng, Kyleigh Lipira

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

The 2025 Cure Ocular Melanoma (CURE OM) Global Science Meeting took place in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on October 25th, 2025. Several promising drug candidates are in development; however, there is still an urgent need for better prevention, detection, and treatment of uveal melanoma. The purpose of this meeting was to promote international collaboration and idea exchange between scientists, industry, and patient advocates.

A Rare Complication Of Leukemic Retinopathy Secondary To Chronic Myeloid Leukemia In Blast Phase, Waleed S. Malik, Vinh Ngo, Kuljot Bansi

Central & West Texas and San Antonio GME Research Day 2026

No abstract provided.

Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Surveillance: A Delphi Panel Consensus, Juan Alban, R. Christopher Bowen, David A. Reichstein, Meredith Mckean, Jose Lutzky, Ezekiel Weis, Richard D. Carvajal, Susan Dulka, Brian G. Morse, Marcus O. Butler, Suthee Rapisuwon, Kevin B. Kim, Sanjay Chandrasekaran, Allison Betof Warner, Jonathan S. Zager, Bartosz Chmielowski, Sapna P. Patel, Leonel Fernando Hernandez-Aya, Zelia M. Correa, Leslie A. Fecher, Yana G. Najjar, Kamaneh Montazeri, Alexander N. Shoushtari, Asad Javed, Dan S. Gombos, April K. S. Salama, Katy Tsai, Frank H. Miller, Nikhil Khushalani, Rino S. Seedor, Evan J. Lipson, Sunil A. Reddy, Elizabeth Buchbinder, Shailender Bhatia, Anna Pavlick, Inderjit Mehmi, Thomas Aaberg, Alexandra P. Ikeguchi, Ivana K. Kim, Scott D. Walter, Arun D. Singh, Ryan J. Sullivan, Jacob S. Choi, Basil K. Williams, Marlana Orloff, Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, Megan D. Schollenberger, Namita Gandhi, J. William Harbour, Sunandana Chandra

Department of Radiology Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Uveal melanoma is a rare but aggressive intraocular malignancy that metastasizes in up to half of patients, most commonly to the liver, despite effective local treatment. In the absence of robust evidence, there are no standardized guidelines for post-treatment surveillance, resulting in wide variation in imaging modalities, frequency, and duration across physicians and institutions. This study aimed to develop expert consensus recommendations for surveillance strategies in patients with uveal melanoma.

METHODS: A modified Delphi method was conducted across three iterative survey rounds between September 2024 and February 2025 using an online platform. Panelists included medical oncologists, ocular oncologists, radiologists, …

Subgroup Analyses Of The Phase 3 Focus Study Of Melphalan/Hepatic Delivery System In Patients With Unresectable Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Jonathan S. Zager, Marlana Orloff, Pier Francesco Ferrucci, Junsung Choi, David J. Eschelman, Evan S. Glazer, Aslam Ejaz, Erika Richtig, Sebastian Ochsenreither, Sunil A. Reddy, Michael C. Lowe, Georgia M. Beasley, Anja Gesierich, Martin Gschnell, Reinhard Dummer, Ana Arance, Stephen William Fenwick, Joseph J. Sacco, Johnny John, Matthew Wheater, Christian H. Ottensmeier

Department of Medical Oncology Faculty Papers

PURPOSE: To assess efficacy and safety in subgroups of patients treated with Melphalan/Hepatic Delivery System (melphalan/HDS), a drug/device combination for liver-directed treatment of metastatic UM (mUM) patients. Previously reported FOCUS study results indicated melphalan/HDS treatment provides a clinically meaningful response rate and favorable benefit-risk ratio in patients with unresectable mUM.

METHODS: Patients with mUM received treatment with melphalan (3.0 mg/kg ideal body weight) every 6-8 weeks for up to 6 cycles. Post hoc analyses of efficacy and safety were conducted for patient subgroups based on demographic and baseline disease characteristics.

RESULTS: 102 patients with mUM were enrolled; treatment was attempted …

Setdb1 Is Critically Required For Uveal Melanoma Growth And Represents A Promising Therapeutic Target, Imène Krossa, Céline Pisibon, Yann Cheli, Karine Bille, Mélanie Dalmasso, Sabah Hamadat, Chrystel Husser, Marie Irondelle, Julien Cherfils-Vicini, Frédéric Soysouvanh, Sacha Nahon-Esteve, Arnaud Martel, Sandra Lassalle, Jean-Pierre Caujolle, Célia Maschi, Stéphanie Baillif, Dan Hasson, Saul Carcamo, Andrerw E. Aplin, Irwin Davidson, Emily Bernstein, Valeria Naim, Robert Ballotti, Corine Bertolotto, Thomas Strub

Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Cancer Biology Faculty Papers

Metastatic uveal melanomas are highly resistant to all existing treatments. To identify actionable vulnerabilities, we conducted a CRISPR-Cas9 knockout screen using a library composed of chromatin regulators. We revealed that the lysine methyltransferase, SETDB1, plays a critical role in metastatic uveal melanoma cell proliferation and survival. Functionally, SETDB1 deficiency induces a DNA damage response, senescence-like state and growth arrest. Knockdown of SETDB1 is associated with a decreased expression of genes related to replication and cell cycle. Moreover, deficiency in CDC6, an essential regulator of DNA replication, phenocopies SETDB1 inhibition. Using a pre-clinical model, we further demonstrated that anti-SETDB1 therapy impairs …

Concurrent Local Therapy Extends Clinical Benefit Of Tebentafusp In Metastatic Uveal Melanoma Patients, Tristan L. Lim, Kamaneh Montazeri, Eric Wehrenberg-Klee, Antoine Desilets, Rino S. Seedor, Marlana Orloff, Takami Sato, Michael Caplan, Mariam El-Ashmawy, Benjamin Izar, Shaheer Khan, Inderjit Mehmi, Aleigha Lawless, Theodore S. Hong, Omid Hamid, Richard D. Carvajal, Alexander Shoushtari, Ryan J. Sullivan

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Tebentafusp has significantly improved overall survival in HLA-A*02:01+ metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) patients even in those with a best objective response of progressive disease. Thus, strategies to maintain tebentafusp therapy are critical. Here, we examine the efficacy and safety of adding concurrent local therapy (CLT) to tebentafusp upon radiological progression with tebentafusp alone.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study included mUM patients treated with tebentafusp and CLT, consisting of extrahepatic soft tissue irradiation and liver-directed therapies (LDTs). Efficacy of target and nontarget sites were assessed per RECIST version 1.1. PFS with tebentafusp alone (PFS1) was compared to that …

Non-Invasive Detection Of Choroidal Melanoma Via Tear-Derived Protein Corona On Gold Nanoparticles: A Machine Learning Approach, Hakimeh Rakhshandeh, Ahmad Nasiraei, Hamid Riazi-Esfahani, Babak Masoomian, Fariba Ghassemi, Mojtaba Arjmand, Saeed Heidari Keshel, Fatemeh Atyabi, Rassoul Dinarvand

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

This study investigates the feasibility of using tear sample analysis, based on protein corona formation on gold nanoparticles combined with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and machine learning techniques, as a non-invasive approach for the detection of choroidal melanoma. The aim is to assess whether protein-nanoparticle interactions can support early and reliable identification of this ocular condition. Tear samples were collected using Schirmer strips from six healthy individuals and six patients diagnosed with choroidal melanoma, with subsequent augmentation to 18 samples per group. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs, ~ 20 nm) were synthesized via citrate reduction and incubated with tear samples to …

Long-Term Non-Conditional And Conditional Metastasis Of Uveal Melanoma By Tumor Size Category In 8034 Patients, Rolika Bansal, Hidayet Sener, Jerry A. Shields, Carol L. Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: To estimate metastasis of patients with uveal melanoma (UM) based on tumor size categories classified by ultrasonographic thickness as small (0.0-3.0 mm), medium (3.1-8.0 mm), or large (≥8.1 mm) using both non-conditional and conditional analyses.

DESIGN: Retrospective analysis.

METHODS: A retrospective study of 8034 cases over 35-years at a single ocular oncology referral center evaluated the primary endpoint of cumulative incidence of metastasis at 5-, 10-, 15-, 20-, 25- and 30-years using non-conditional and conditional analysis at 3-years, 5-years, and 10-years of metastasis-free survival.

RESULTS: The mean thicknesses for small, medium, and large UMs were 2.5 mm, 5.0 mm, …

Rare Jugular Bulb Tumor Presenting As Bilateral Papilledema, Yoona Choe, Matthew Boyle, Peter Maduka

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

Optic disc edema, which may arise from a range of inflammatory, ischemic, compressive, infiltrative, or hereditary causes, can also indicate elevated intracranial pressure in the form of papilledema. Given its potential association with life-threatening conditions such as mass lesions or venous sinus thrombosis, timely identification and thorough evaluation are critical. In this case, a 61-year-old female presented with a complaint of a new-onset floater in her left eye. Despite minimal symptoms and an unremarkable systemic review, dilated fundus examination revealed bilateral optic disc edema with hyperemia and hemorrhages, prompting urgent neuroimaging. MRI and MRV identified venous thrombi in the right …

Treatment Sequence With Tebentafusp And Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors In Patients With Metastatic Uveal Melanoma And Metastatic Gna11/Gnaq Mutant Melanocytic Tumors, Florentia Dimitriou, Marlana Orloff, Erica Koch Hein, Phil Cheng, Isaac Hughes, Ester Simeone, Kamaneh Montazeri, Piyush Grover, Inderjit Mehmi, Camille Gerard, Caroline Gaudy-Marqueste, Jean-Jacques Grob, Olivier Michielin, Omid Hamid, Georgina Long, Ryan Sullivan, Ellen Kapiteijn, Douglas Johnson, Paolo Ascierto, Anthony Joshua, Richard Carvajal, Marcus Butler, Jessica Hassel, Reinhard Dummer

Kimmel Cancer Center Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Metastatic uveal melanoma (mUM) is rare. Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have shown modest efficacy in mUM. Tebentafusp prolonged overall survival (OS) in a phase 3 study. We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of the sequence of tebentafusp and ICIs.

METHODS: Patients with HLA-A * 02:01 positive mUM, or metastatic GNA11/GNAQ mutant melanocytic tumors treated with tebentafusp followed by ICIs (group 1) or the inverse sequence (group 2) at any treatment line were retrospectively identified. The primary objective was OS rate at 2 years.

RESULTS: 131 patients were included; 51 in group 1 and 80 in group 2. …

Impact Of Tumor Pigmentation In 6934 Patients With Uveal Melanoma At A Single Center, Samuel Goldstein, Ferris Bayasi, George Thomas, Matthew Barke, Michael Nguyen, Samantha Pastore, Carol Shields

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Purpose: To evaluate clinical features and outcomes associated with degree of tumor pigmentation in patients with uveal melanoma (UM) of the choroid and ciliary body. Design: Retrospective observational study. Subjects: Six thousand nine hundred thirty-four consecutive patients with choroidal or ciliary body melanoma between 1971 and 2007 from a single ocular oncology center. Methods: Data on patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment approach, and clinical outcomes were collected. Comparisons between pigmented (>80% pigmentation by surface area), partially pigmented (20%–80%), and nonpigmented tumors (<20%) were performed using relevant hypothesis testing. Survival analyses for metastasis and melanoma-related death were conducted using the Kaplan–Meier method with log-rank tests for univariate comparisons. A multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to assess the independent effects of multiple covariates on time-to-metastasis. Main Outcome Measures: Extraocular extension, ocular melanocytosis, time to tumor recurrence, tumor location, and melanoma-related metastasis and death. Results: There were 6934 eyes with UM and the degree of tumor pigmentation was classified as pigmented (n = 3762; 54%), partially pigmented (n = 2115; 31%), or nonpigmented (n = 1057; 15%). Pigmented UM was associated with extraocular extension (P < 0.001), ocular melanocytosis (P = 0.003), earlier tumor recurrence (P < 0.001), and more anterior tumor epicenter location (ciliary body, and equator to ora serrata) (P < 0.001). Pigmented UMs also exhibited the highest 10-year metastasis rate at 26%, compared with 19% for partially pigmented UMs and 16% for nonpigmented UMs (P < 0.001). Kaplan–Meier survival curves demonstrated differences among the tumor pigmentation groups for melanoma-related metastasis (P < 0.001) and melanoma-related death (P < 0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis for melanoma-related metastasis showed that pigmented UMs had a 29% higher relative risk of developing metastasis compared with partially pigmented UMs (P = 0.002) and a 54% higher relative risk of developing metastasis compared with nonpigmented UMs (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Pigmented choroidal and ciliary body melanoma is more often associated with ocular melanocytosis, extraocular extension, anterior tumor epicenter, and earlier tumor recurrence. We also revealed that patients with pigmented UMs demonstrate a higher 10-year rate of metastatic disease and have decreased metastatic survival relative to partially pigmented and nonpigmented UMs. Financial Disclosures: Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article.

Genome-Wide Methylation Patterns In Primary Uveal Melanoma: Development Of Methylsig-Um, An Epigenomic Prognostic Signature To Improve Patient Stratification, Emilie Lalonde, Dong Li, Kathryn Ewens, Carol L. Shields, Arupa Ganguly

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

Despite studies highlighting the prognostic utility of DNA methylation in primary uveal melanoma (pUM), it has not been translated into a clinically useful tool. We sought to define a methylation signature to identify newly diagnosed individuals at high risk for developing metastasis. Methylation profiling was performed on 41 patients with pUM with stage T2-T4 and at least three years of follow-up using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450K BeadChip (N = 24) and the EPIC BeadChip (N = 17). Findings were validated in the TCGA cohort with known metastatic outcome (N = 69). Differentially methylated probes were identified in patients who developed …

A Multicenter Analysis Of Nucleic Acid Quantification Using Aqueous Humor Liquid Biopsy In Retinoblastoma: Implications For Clinical Testing, Deborah H Im, Sarah Pike, Mark W Reid, Chen-Ching Peng, Shreya Sirivolu, Hans E Grossniklaus, G Baker Hubbard, Alison H Skalet, Kellyn N Bellsmith, Carol L. Shields, Sara E Lally, Andrew W Stacey, Bibiana J Reiser, Aaron Nagiel, Rachana Shah, Liya Xu, Jesse L Berry

Wills Eye Hospital Papers

PURPOSE: Retinoblastoma (RB) is most often diagnosed with clinical features and not diagnosed with tumor biopsy. This study describes tumor-derived analyte concentrations from aqueous humor (AH) liquid biopsy and its use in clinical assays.

DESIGN: Case series study.

PARTICIPANTS: Sixty-two RB eyes from 55 children and 14 control eyes from 12 children from 4 medical centers.

METHODS: This study included 128 RB AH samples including: diagnostic (DX) samples, samples from eyes undergoing treatment (TX), samples after completing treatment (END), and during bevacizumab injection for radiation therapy after completing RB treatment (BEV). Fourteen-control AH were analyzed for unprocessed analytes (double-stranded DNA …

Metachronous Eyelid Basal Cell Carcinoma On Opposite Eye And Lid: A Case Report, Danielle C. Kalberer Od, Faao, Matthew A. Delmauro Md

Optometric Clinical Practice

Background: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common eyelid malignancy, accounting for approximately 90% of malignant eyelid lesions.¹ Despite its high occurrence rates, it is frequently misdiagnosed as one of the benign “lumps and bumps” that can be present on the eyelid. In the present case, a patient with a past BCC on the right upper eyelid presented with a left lower eyelid lesion which persisted for months before the patient sought evaluation by an eyecare provider. This benign-looking lash-line lesion was the only external sign of the malignancy found on the deep surface of the eyelid and …

The Tumor Microenvironment Regulates Retinoblastoma Cell Survival, Zachary K. Goldsmith

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is the most common intraocular malignancy in children comprising 4% of all pediatric tumors. Early intervention increases survival rates up to 95% in developed countries; being survival rates associated to socio-economic status. Despite the high survival rates in developed countries, preservation of the eye and vision are continuing challenges in the management of Rb. Vitreous seeds constitute the greatest challenge in treatment of Rb. The unique location of these seeds within the vitreous makes them difficult to treat. Viable seeds showed reduced proliferative capacity and metabolism. making the majority refractory to current chemotherapeutics. This prompted the development of …

Pilot Study Of Anxiety, Depression, And Quality Of Life In Patients With The Diagnosis Of Metastatic Uveal Melanoma, Regine Nshimiyimana, Dnp, Bpharm, Fnp-Bc, Agacnp-Bc, Ocn, Aocnp

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: Awareness of a patient’s anxiety, depression, and quality of life (QOL) in those with metastatic uveal melanoma (MUM) can influence care that meets patients’ bio-psychosocial-spiritual needs.

Objectives: To measure the level of anxiety, depression, and QOL in patients with MUM and explore differences by gender, age range, time to metastatic disease, and duration of illness since metastasis.

Methods: We used a descriptive-comparative survey design. Over three months, a convenience sample of 70 patients with MUM aged ≥ 18 years, treated at a Mid-Atlantic hospital were invited to complete a combined survey of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and …