title: Prognostic factors for conjunctival melanoma: a study in ethnic Chinese patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In patients with conjunctival melanomas, surgery is the first choice of treatment, but no standard adjuvant therapy has been established. In this study, we evaluated prognostic factors for conjunctival melanoma in ethnic Chinese patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Demographic data, known (published) prognostic factors, BRAF and KIT gene mutations, treatment strategies and outcomes were reviewed in 53 patients with pathologically confirmed conjunctival melanomas. Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with survival were performed by the Kaplan-Meier method and a Cox proportional hazard model, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Univariate analyses for 50 patients in whom data were available showed that a higher T stage (p=0.041), greater tumour thickness (p=0.006), local resection (p=0.033) and no adjuvant therapy (p=0.006) were associated with a worse recurrence-free survival (RFS) and metastasis-free survival (MFS). Patients with more involved quadrants also had worse MFS (p=0.039), while a higher T stage (p<0.001), local resection (p=0.008), and no adjuvant therapy (p=0.028) were associated with worse overall survival (OS). However, BRAF or KIT mutations showed no correlations with RFS, MFS or OS. Patients who received high-dose interferon (HDI) adjuvant therapy had a better RFS (p=0.004), MFS (p=0.001) and OS (p=0.005) than those who did not. Multivariate analysis showed that adjuvant therapy and tumour thickness were significant predictive factors for RFS, and the T stage was a significant predictive factor for OS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adjuvant therapy and tumour thickness are significantly associated with RFS and T stage is a significant predictor of OS in Chinese patients with conjunctival melanomas. Patients may benefit from adjuvant therapy with HDI.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xinan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Siming
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhihong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Si
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chuanliang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Bixia
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xieqiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Renal Cancer and Melanoma, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D001918:Brachytherapy; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003230:Conjunctival Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf / Q000235:genetics; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; C482119:BRAF protein, human; D048493:Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf
keywords: Conjunctiva; Neoplasia