National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Ocular melanoma


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Ocular melanoma (OM) is a cancer in pigment-producing cells of the eye called melanocytes.   Melanocytes are cells that produce the pigment melanin that colors the skin, hair, and eyes, as well as forms moles.  There are four tissues in the eye in which melanoma can develop: the uveal tract (uvea); conjunctiva; eyelid; and orbit.  The uvea - the middle layer within the eye  - is divided into three main parts: the iris, ciliary body, and choroid.  Uveal melanoma, also called intraocular melanoma, is the most common ocular melanoma. Conjunctival melanoma manifests on the surface of the eye and has been increasing in incidence. Eyelid and primary orbital melanoma are the least common variants.[1]
Last updated: 1/14/2013

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Ocular melanoma. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.
  • The Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study or COMS for short, is a set of clinical trials designed to evaluate the treatments doctors use for their patients with choroidal melanoma. COMS clinical trials are funded by the National Eye Institute and the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, and are being conducted at more than 40 medical centers in the United States and Canada.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

Social Networking Websites

  • The Ocular Melanoma Foundation Patient Forum is an interactive social network for patients, family members and health care providers to interact with one another.  Click on the link to read more about this forum.

Living with a genetic or rare disease can impact the daily lives of patients and families. These resources can help families navigate various aspects of living with a rare disease.

Financial Resources

  • Good Days provides help to patients with life-altering conditions. Assistance includes help with the cost of medications and travel.
  • The HealthWell Foundation provides financial assistance for underinsured patients living with chronic and life-altering conditions. They offer help with drug copayments, deductibles, and health insurance premiums for patients with specific diseases. The disease fund status can change over time, so you may need to check back if funds are not currently available.
  • The Social Security Administration has included this condition in their Compassionate Allowances Initiative. This initiative speeds up the processing of disability claims for applicants with certain medical conditions that cause severe disability. More information about Compassionate Allowances and applying for Social Security disability is available online.
  • The Assistance Fund provides various services, including education and financial aid, to help patients with a chronic or serious illness cover the cost of FDA-approved medications. Patients must be U.S citizens or permanent residents.

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The National Cancer Institute provides the most current information on cancer for patients, health professionals, and the general public.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Shields, Carol, M.D., Shields, Jerry, M.D.. Ocular melanoma: relatively rare but requiring respect. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009;