Iris Melanoma
Ciliary Body Melanoma
Small Choroid Melanoma
Medium and Large Choroid Melanoma
Extraocular Extension Melanoma and Metastatic Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma
Recurrent Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.

Treatment of iris melanoma may include the following:

• Watchful waiting.
• Surgery (local tumor resection or enucleation).
• Plaque radiation therapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with iris melanoma ¹.

Treatment of tumors in the ciliary body and choroid may include the following:

• Plaque radiation therapy.
• Charged-particle external radiation therapy.
• Surgery (local tumor resection or enucleation).

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with ciliary body and choroid melanoma, small size ².

Treatment of small choroid melanoma may include the following:

• Watchful waiting.
• Plaque radiation therapy.
• Charged-particle external radiation therapy.
• Gamma Knife radiation surgery.
• Photocoagulation.
• Thermotherapy.
• Surgery (local tumor resection or enucleation).

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with ciliary body and choroid melanoma, small size ².

Treatment of medium choroid melanoma may include the following:

• Plaque radiation therapy.
• Plaque radiation therapy with photocoagulation or thermotherapy.
• Charged-particle external radiation therapy.
• Surgery (local tumor resection or enucleation).

Treatment of large choroid melanoma may include surgery (enucleation) with or without radiation therapy before surgery.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with ciliary body and choroid melanoma, medium/large size ³.

Treatment of extraocular extension melanoma or metastatic melanoma may include surgery (exenteration) with or without radiation therapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with extraocular extension melanoma ⁴ and metastatic intraocular melanoma ⁵.

Treatment of recurrent intraocular melanoma is usually within a clinical trial.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's PDQ Cancer Clinical Trials Registry that are now accepting patients with recurrent intraocular melanoma ⁶.

Glossary Terms

A type of research study that tests how well new medical approaches work in people. These studies test new methods of screening, prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of a disease. Also called a clinical study.

In medicine, the removal of an organ or tumor in such a way that it comes out clean and whole, like a nut from its shell.

Surgery to remove organs within a body cavity.

A type of radiation therapy that uses a machine to aim high-energy rays at the cancer from outside of the body. Also called external-beam radiation therapy.

A treatment using gamma rays, a type of high-energy radiation that can be tightly focused on small tumors or other lesions in the head or neck, so very little normal tissue receives radiation. The gamma rays are aimed at the tumor from many different angles at once, and deliver a large dose of radiation exactly to the tumor in one treatment session. This procedure is a type of stereotactic radiosurgery. Gamma Knife therapy is not a knife and is not surgery. Gamma Knife is a registered trademark of Elekta Instruments, Inc.

A rare cancer of melanocytes (cells that produce the pigment melanin) found in the eye. Also called ocular melanoma.

An invasive malignant cancer confined entirely to the organ where the cancer began.

A form of cancer that begins in melanocytes (cells that make the pigment melanin). It may begin in a mole (skin melanoma), but can also begin in other pigmented tissues, such as in the eye or in the intestines.

Having to do with metastasis, which is the spread of cancer from one part of the body to another.

The use of an intense beam of light, such as a laser, to seal off blood vessels or destroy tissue. It is used to treat certain eye conditions, and may be used to destroy blood vessels that a tumor needs to grow.

A type of radiation therapy used to treat eye tumors. A thin piece of metal (usually gold) with radioactive seeds placed on one side is sewn onto the outside wall of the eye with the seeds aimed at the tumor. It is removed at the end of treatment, which usually lasts for several days

The use of high-energy radiation from x-rays, gamma rays, neutrons, protons, and other sources to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation may come from a machine outside the body (external-beam radiation therapy), or it may come from radioactive material placed in the body near cancer cells (internal radiation therapy). Systemic radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance, such as a radiolabeled monoclonal antibody, that travels in the blood to tissues throughout the body. Also called radiotherapy and irradiation.

Cancer that has recurred (come back), usually after a period of time during which the cancer could not be detected. The cancer may come back to the same place as the original (primary) tumor or to another place in the body. Also called recurrence.

A procedure that uses surgery to remove tissue or part or all of an organ.

The extent of a cancer in the body. Staging is usually based on the size of the tumor, whether lymph nodes contain cancer, and whether the cancer has spread from the original site to other parts of the body.

A procedure to remove or repair a part of the body or to find out whether disease is present. An operation.

Treatment of disease using heat.

An abnormal mass of tissue that results when cells divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (not cancerous), or malignant (cancerous). Also called neoplasm.

Closely monitoring a patient's condition but withholding treatment until symptoms appear or change. Also called active surveillance, expectant management, and observation.