Therapy Resistance and Failure in Uveal Melanoma

Abstract

Uveal Melanoma (UM), a common malignant intraocular tumor, is currently lacking a standard therapy. Traditional surgical approaches can result in patients losing organs or having difficult surgical procedures resulting in poor postoperative outcomes. Either way, there is no improvement in patients’ quality of life after surgery compared to radiotherapy. As a first-line treatment with radiotherapy, this therapy is limited by the size and location of the tumor. The risk of postoperative vision loss and second surgery for enucleation remains. UM is a special type of melanoma that is resistant to chemotherapy, and although the treatment is not effective, research has been investigated on this topic, suggesting new ideas for the treatment of UM - immunotherapy and targeted therapy. The current nivolumab plus ipilimumab treatment regimen has yielded relatively successful results, with some very encouraging case reports, but not as good as their efficacy in skin cancer. Despite the current unsatisfactory results of these new therapies, it is still the most attractive answer for UM that is highly metastatic and has a very poor prognosis. This review supports clinical decision-making and new treatment development by compiling the strengths and weaknesses of common treatments currently available in the clinic.