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Ocular Melanoma
Learn about ocular melanoma
Treatment options for advanced ocular melanoma can differ from those used for skin melanoma. Therefore, it is essential to seek care at a specialised centre with doctors experienced in treating this specific disease.
Systemic Treatments
Systemic treatments work throughout the entire body, travelling via the bloodstream to target and destroy cancer cells. These may include:
- Immunotherapy: Medicines that stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells.
- Chemotherapy: Medicines that destroy rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells.
- Targeted Therapy: Medicines that focus on specific genes or proteins that contribute to cancer cell growth and survival.
Currently, one systemic therapy for advanced ocular melanoma is approved for use in Australia by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). This treatment, called tebentafusp, works by bringing immune cells into close proximity with ocular melanoma cells, enabling the immune system to attack them. Clinical trials have demonstrated that tebentafusp can improve overall survival for patients with uveal melanoma.
Tebentafusp is only suitable for individuals who are HLA-A2 positive (a molecule that plays a role in immune system regulation). Around half of white individuals – the demographic most commonly affected by ocular melanoma – are HLA-A2 positive.