Quality of life as part of the diagnostic and treatment process in patients with uveal melanoma

Aim. To study of individual components of quality of life and the impact of various factors on quality of life in patients with choroidal melanoma after treatments. Methods. 122 patients (80 women, 42 men, mean age 59.89±11.95 years) were questioned. The first group included 48 patients who underwent an organ-sparing procedure (eye enucleation); the second group included 72 patients with choroidal melanoma who underwent an organ-saving procedure (brachytherapy, transpupillary thermotherapy, or combination of both methods). To investigate the quality of life, Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) questionnaire was used. Evaluation was carried out during the first three months after treatment, up to 1 year, 1 to 3 years, as well as 3 years or more after hospital discharge. Results. Quality of life parameters as the evaluation of the total well-being in patients following enucleation, and after brachytherapy, laser treatment and combinations of those at different terms after treatment, were defined. Total quality of life score in patients who underwent an organ-sparing procedure at the late terms after the surgery (more than 3 years) was significantly higher compared to patients who underwent an organ-saving procedure (FACT-G scores 78.79±14.28 and 67.93±13.92), with no significant differences in quality of life at earlier terms. Conclusion. An organ-saving treatment is associated with a significant total quality of life score reduction, and performing enucleation in patients with choroidal melanoma is characterized by significantly higher quality of life levels at long-term follow-up. The decline in the quality of life in patients with choroidal melanoma after enucleation is directly related to the visual acuity of the second eye.

choroidal melanoma, quality of life, enucleation, organ-saving treatment, visual acuity