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. 2025 Aug 19;20(8):e0328360.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0328360. eCollection 2025.

Factors associated with time until metastatic spread in patients with primary uveal melanoma: A retrospective analysis

Reinhard Told  1 , Adrian Reumueller  1 , Judith Kreminger  1 , Stefan Sacu  1 , Roman Dunavoelgyi  1
Affiliations

Factors associated with time until metastatic spread in patients with primary uveal melanoma: A retrospective analysis

Reinhard Told et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Purpose: To characterize patients with choroidal or ciliary body (CB) melanoma in order to identify factors associated with time until metastasis and further perform a detailed characterization of the factors identified.

Methods: A mixed model approach was used to identify parameters and patient characteristics associated with time until metastatic event. Consequently, the identified parameters were characterized.

Results: In 383 patients with primary choroidal and CB melanoma, tumor thickness and patient age at diagnosis are associated with time until metastatic event. Mean patient age was 61 ± 13 years, mean choroidal and CB melanoma thickness was 5.1 ± 1.9 mm. Other factors investigated comprising sex, primary tumor width, length, volume, shape, and type of therapy are not associated with time until metastatic event in this patient collective.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this study expands the current knowledge on factors associated with metastasis due to primary choroidal or CB melanoma. So far primary choroidal or CB melanoma thickness has been shown to be a risk indicator for metastatic events. Now, we could show that primary choroidal or CB melanoma thickness is also correlated with time until metastatic event. The association can be expressed as: the thicker the primary tumor, the earlier the potential metastatic event. Age may be considered an indirect effect in the model calculated.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. CONSORT diagram.
Fig 2
Fig 2. Correlation between primary tumor thickness (mm) and time until metastatic event (years) in 71 patients.
Fig 3
Fig 3. Primary choroidal and CB melanoma thickness are displayed 4 visits before the metastatic event was detected (vertical dashed line).
The visits took place every six months. Data are displayed as mean ± 2 SD.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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