title: Cytogenetics and prognosis for uveal melanoma in Korean patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the rate of mortality for uveal melanoma in the Korean population and assess whether it correlates with cytogenetic data, and clinical and histopathological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review of medical files from 33 uveal melanoma patients who underwent enucleation at Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, between January, 1994 and December, 2009 was performed. Dual-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization was performed using centromeric probes for chromosome 3 and 8 in archived patient tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of patients was 53.2 years (range; 29-78), and the mean largest basal diameter was 11.8 mm (range; 6.0-18.1). Of the 20 tissue blocks with available cytogenetic data, there was monosomy 3 in seven (35%) and polysomy 8 in four (20%). The presence of monosomy 3 (p < 0.001), polysomy 8 (p < 0.001), ciliary body involvement (p < 0.001), a mitotic rate ≥5/40 high-power fields (p = 0.006), closed extravascular matrix loop (p = 0.025), large basal tumour diameter (p = 0.029) and epithelioid cellularity (p = 0.038) predicted melanoma-related mortality. The median time from enucleation to liver metastasis was 16 months (range; 10-70), and the median survival after metastasis was 5 months (range; 1-9). The Kaplan--Meier survival curve estimated the metastatic death rate to be 22% for 5 years and 30% for 10 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Korean patients with uveal melanoma are younger and appear to exhibit no worse prognosis than Caucasian. Cytogenetic abnormality of chromosome 3 and 8 highly predicted metastatic death.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Christopher Seungkyu
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Junwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jun Jeong
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Woo Ik
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jin Sook
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Sang Yeul
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics*; D002898:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 8 / Q000235:genetics*; D020732:Cytogenetic Analysis; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014604:Uveal Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology