Intratumoral Heterogeneity in Uveal Melanoma

Tumor biopsies in uveal melanoma (UM) serve mainly the purpose of prognostication and assessment of individual metastatic risk, but can be used for diagnosis in selected cases. The importance of precise information is paramount for selecting adequate surveillance protocols, patient counseling, and optimization of treatment strategies. However, intratumoral heterogeneity and sample representativity are major concerns and can interfere with the correct prediction of the patient's prognosis. We report a series of cases of UM with distinct morphologically identifiable areas, highlighting the differences in clinical behavior, as well as histopathological and genetic features.

Automated summary

Tumor biopsies in uveal melanoma (UM) are essential for prognostication and evaluation of metastatic risk, and can also be used for diagnosis. Issues such as intratumoral heterogeneity and sample representativity in UM may affect the accurate prediction of patient prognosis.