Unmet needs in patients with high risk uveal melanoma undergoing liver surveillance

Abstract

Uveal melanoma (UM) is a rare form of cancer diagnosed in about 500 people a year in the UK. In most patients at time of diagnosis the disease is limited to the eye, but about 30% die of distant metastasis before five years and about 45% at 15 years post diagnosis. Although the survival benefits of liver screening are not proven, national guidance recommends liver surveillance for patients with high-risk disease every six months in the first five years after diagnosis, then annually for the rest of the person’s life.This article describes the findings of an audit of the unmet needs of patients undergoing regular liver surveillance following diagnosis of UM. The audit was conducted retrospectively over 12 months using the Macmillan National Cancer Survivorship Initiative holistic needs assessment checklist. The findings provide a snapshot of the issues faced by patients who survive a rare cancer and who are undergoing regular follow-up at a specialist cancer centre.