Clinical Spectrum of Uveal Metastasis in Korean Patients Based on Primary Tumor Origin

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the clinical features and prognosis of patients with uveal metastasis in Korea.

Design: Retrospective, observational case series.

Participants: Patients diagnosed at 2 tertiary high-volume centers between November 2005 and November 2019.

Methods: Evaluation of multimodal imaging and electronic medical records.

Main outcome measures: The clinical features and outcomes were assessed based on the primary cancer site.

Results: A total of 134 uveal metastases (128 choroidal, 3 iris, and 3 ciliary body tumors) were diagnosed in 95 eyes of 80 patients. Mean age at diagnosis was 56 years (median, 55 years; range, 24-86 years), with a minor preponderance of women (61%). Tumors were bilateral in 15 patients (19%) and the primary origin was established in 49 patients (61%) before ocular detection. The primary tumor originated in the lung (48%), breast (24%), gastrointestinal tract (10%), liver (3%), pancreas (3%), kidney (1%), cervix (1%), and nasopharynx (1%), with some remaining unknown (10%). The overall 5-year survival rate was 21%. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed that the worst survival was found in pancreatic cancers (mean survival, 5.9 months; P = 0.045), and the best survival was found in gastrointestinal tract cancers (mean survival, 44.5 months).

Conclusions: The primary tumor origins in Korean patients with uveal metastases differed from those reported in primarily population-based studies of White patients, with a higher prevalence of lung and gastrointestinal tract cancers.