Eye melanomas are often fatal, however scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a mutated gene in melanoma tumors of the eye that appears to predict a good outcome.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column]
The research is published in the advance online edition of Nature Genetics.
“We found mutations in a gene called SF3B1,” said senior author Anne Bowcock, PhD, professor of genetics. “The good news is that these mutations develop in a distinct subtype of melanomas in the eye that are unlikely to spread and become deadly.”
Eye tumors called uveal melanomas occur in about 2,000 patients a year, making up about 5 per cent of all melanomas. In many patients, there are no symptoms, and the tumors become fatal when they spread to the liver.
