title: Molecular pathways mediating liver metastasis in patients with uveal melanoma.
abstract: Uveal melanoma arises from melanocytes located in the uveal tract of the eye and is the most common primary intraocular tumor in adults. Metastatic liver disease is the overwhelming cause of death in uveal melanoma patients, with almost 50% of patients developing liver metastases up to 15 years after diagnosis. Most of these patients do not present with any evidence of overt metastasis at the time of initial diagnosis although it is assumed that they have undetectable micrometastases. Currently, there are no therapeutic modalities to prevent or efficiently treat the metastatic disease in uveal melanoma patients. Recent discoveries have shed light on the molecular pathways that may contribute to the progression of liver metastasis. The aim of this review is to describe new insights into the genetic and molecular pathways that may play a role in the development of liver metastases in uveal melanoma patients.
authors.affiliation: Henry C. Witelson Ocular Pathology Laboratory, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. sbakalian@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Silvin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bakalian
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Logan
authors.forename: Dana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Faingold
authors.forename: Shawn
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Cesare
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Bruno F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Miguel N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Burnier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000556:secondary*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*