Prediction of prognosis in patients with uveal melanoma using fluorescencein situ hybridisation

Background/aims-Uveal melanoma is the commonest malignancy of the eye, with a high proportion of patients dying of metastatic disease. Tumours showing a loss of chromosome 3 and gains of chromosome 8 are associated with a wor se prognosis. The efficiency of fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) i n determining copy numbers of these chromosomes was assessed in individual tumours and related to patient survival. Methods-33 fresh frozen samples were analysed with centromeric probes for c hromosomes 3 and 8. Patient outcomes were divided into two groups: (1) abse nce of genetic abnormalities (no genetic imbalance) and (2) presence of gen etic abnormalities (genetic imbalance). The log rank test was used to compa re survival, which was represented by Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Results-Of the 33 tumours analysed, 16 showed evidence of genetic imbalance s. Of these 16 tumours, 14 patients had died by the end of the study, with 10 having died of liver metastases. Of the tumours without evidence of gene tic imbalances, five patients had died by the end of the study, although no ne had died as a result of either liver metastases or from the primary uvea l melanoma. The difference in survival between the two groups was highly si gnificant (p <0.0001). Conclusion-The authors have shown that FISH analysis for chromosome 3 and 8 is a reliable and efficient technique in the analysis of fresh frozen tumo ur specimens and is valuable in the prediction of prognosis in individuals with uveal melanomas.