Ocular Melanoma - Epidemiology Forecast - 2034

Key Highlights

• Ocular melanoma, while rare, is the most common primary cancer of the eye in adults, primarily affecting the uveal tract. The condition originates from melanocytes, pigment-producing cells, and can potentially metastasize, commonly to the liver.
• Ocular melanoma can be divided into uveal and non-uveal melanoma. Uveal melanoma comprises the larger group of ocular melanoma and consists of choroidal, ciliary body, and iris melanoma. Non-uveal melanoma includes conjunctival melanoma and ocular melanoma from other sites.
• Ocular melanoma predominantly affects older individuals, with a higher incidence in fair-skinned individuals and those with lighter eye colors. Risk factors include dysplastic nevus syndrome, certain cutaneous nevi, and a family history of systemic and ocular cancers, possibly linked to genetic mutations like BAP1, GNAQ, and GNA11 alterations.
• Ocular melanoma may manifest with varied symptoms, including blurred vision, photopsia, and metamorphopsia, or remain asymptomatic for years. Diagnosis involves a comprehensive clinical evaluation, specialized tests like ocular ultrasound, fluorescein angiography, optical coherence tomography, and, in some cases, fine needle aspiration biopsy for genetic analysis.
• In 2023, the United States accounted for the highest number of diagnosed incident cases of ocular melanoma in the 7MM.
• In the United States, ocular melanoma primarily affects individuals aged 40-70 years, constituting approximately ~60% of the total cases.
• Among the EU4 and the UK, out of all diagnosed incident cases of uveal melanoma, choroidal cases were highest, followed by ciliary body and iris melanoma in 2023.

The “Ocular Melanoma - Epidemiology Forecast - 2034” report delivers an in-depth understanding of ocular melanoma, historical and forecasted epidemiology in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, and Spain), and the United Kingdom, and Japan.

Ocular Melanoma Disease Understanding and Diagnostic Algorithm

Ocular Melanoma Overview

Ocular melanoma is an extremely rare form of cancer that affects the eye. Although rare, it is the most common primary cancer of the eye in adults. Primary means that the cancer began at that site (in this case, the eye) and did not spread to another part of the body.

In most people, this cancer arises in a part of the eye known as the uveal tract. The uveal tract is the colored (pigmented) layer of tissue that is found beneath the white of the eye (sclera) and is composed of normally pigmented cells and blood vessels. In the front of the eye, the uvea is made up of the colored part of the eye (iris) and a circle of muscle tissue (ciliary body) that releases a transparent fluid (aqueous humor) into the eye and helps control the shape of the lens. The largest area of the uveal tract is in the back part of the eye (choroid), which is located beneath the retina, the vision-sensing portion of the eye. In most instances, ocular melanomas arise within the choroid.

Typically asymptomatic, ocular melanoma is often identified by optometrists during routine eye examinations. Some individuals, however, may manifest signs such as diminished or blurred vision in one eye, peripheral vision loss, the presence of brown or dark patches on the eye’s white surface, a dark spot on the iris, the perception of small specks or wavy lines (referred to as ‘floaters’) in their vision, occasional flashes in the vision, and alterations in the shape of the pupil.

Ocular melanoma arises from cells called melanocytes, which are the cells of the body that produce pigment. Ocular melanoma is a cancerous (malignant) tumor that can potentially spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, most often to the liver.

The exact cause of ocular melanoma remains largely unidentified in most cases. Nevertheless, various risk factors have been associated with the development of this eye cancer. These include having fair or pale skin, possessing light-colored eyes, having a family history of melanoma, the presence of growths on or within the eye, advancing age, and certain skin conditions that lead to the formation of abnormal moles, thereby elevating the risk of ocular melanoma.

Ocular Melanoma Diagnosis

The diagnosis of ocular melanoma involves various tests conducted by a doctor or optometrist, followed by specialized assessments by an ophthalmologist with expertise in ocular oncology.

The tests include ophthalmoscopy to examine the inside of the eye, color fundus photography to capture images of the eye’s back, ultrasound to create pictures of the eye’s interior, trans illumination to identify abnormal areas, and CT and MRI scans for detailed imaging. In some cases, a biopsy is used to examine the tissue under a microscope. The choice of diagnostic tests depends on the suspicion of ocular melanoma and aims to determine the tumor’s location, size, and potential spread.

After someone is diagnosed with eye cancer, doctors will try to figure out if it has spread and, if so, how far. This process is called staging. The stage of cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. It helps determine how serious the cancer is and how best to treat it. Doctors also use a cancer’s stage when talking about survival statistics. The cancer stage is determined from the results of eye exams, imaging tests (ultrasound, CT or MRI scan, etc.), and other tests. A staging system is a standard way for the cancer care team to describe how far a cancer has spread. The most common systems used to describe the stages of eye melanomas are the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM system and the system used by the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study (COMS) group.

Ocular Melanoma Epidemiology

The Ocular Melanoma epidemiology chapter in the report provides historical as well as forecasted epidemiology segmented by diagnosed incident cases, type-specific cases, mutation-specific cases, age-specific cases, stage-specific and treated cases in the United States, EU4 countries (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan from 2020 to 2034.

• Among the 7MM, the United States accounted for the highest number of diagnosed incident cases of ocular melanoma, which is 49.0% of the diagnosed incident cases of ocular melanoma in 2023.
• In the US, out of all diagnosed incident cases of uveal melanoma, choroidal cases were highest, followed by ciliary body and iris melanoma in 2023.
• Among the EU4 and the UK, the United Kingdom accounted for the highest number of ocular melanoma cases, followed by France, whereas Spain accounted for the lowest number of diagnosed incident cases of ocular melanoma.
• In Japan, the highest mutation type-specific cases of ocular melanoma were for GNA11, followed by GNAQ, BAP1, and SF3B1 mutation in 2023.

Scope of the Report

• The report covers a segment of key events, an executive summary, and a descriptive overview of ocular melanoma, explaining its causes, signs and symptoms, pathogenesis, and currently available therapies.
• Comprehensive insight into the epidemiology segments and forecasts, the future growth potential of diagnosis rate, and disease progression have been provided.
• A detailed review of current challenges in establishing diagnosis and diagnosis rate is provided.

Ocular Melanoma Report Insights

• Patient Population
• Total diagnosed incident cases of ocular melanoma, type-specific cases, mutation-specific cases, age-specific cases, stage-specific cases, and total treated cases of ocular melanoma.
• Country-wise Epidemiology Distribution

Ocular Melanoma Report Key Strengths

• Eleven-year Forecast
• The 7MM Coverage
• Ocular Melanoma Epidemiology Segmentation

Ocular Melanoma Report Assessment

• Epidemiology Segmentation
• Current Diagnostic Practices

Key Questions

Epidemiology Insights

• What are the disease risks, burdens, and unmet needs of Ocular Melanoma? What will be the growth opportunities across the 7MM with respect to the patient population pertaining to Ocular Melanoma?
• What is the historical and forecasted Ocular Melanoma patient pool in the United States, EU4 (Germany, France, Italy, Spain) and the United Kingdom, and Japan?
• What is the diagnostic pattern of Ocular Melanoma?
• Which clinical factors will affect Ocular Melanoma?
• Which factors will affect the increase in the diagnosis of Ocular Melanoma?

Reasons to buy

• Insights on disease burden, details regarding diagnosis, and factors contributing to the change in the epidemiology of the disease during the forecast years.
• To understand the change in Ocular Melanoma cases in varying geographies over the coming years.
• A detailed overview of total diagnosed prevalent cases of Ocular Melanoma, onset age-specific cases, symptom-specific cases, type-specific cases, and total diagnosed cases of Ocular Melanoma is included.
• To understand the perspective of key opinion leaders around the current challenges with establishing the diagnosis and insights on the treatment-eligible patient pool.
• Detailed insights on various factors hampering disease diagnosis and other existing diagnostic challenges.