Ocular melanoma patients have less driving, peripheral vision problems with brachytherapy

In a comparison of brachytherapy and enucleation as treatment for ocular melanoma, one study found that patients being treated with brachytherapy had better results for driving and peripheral vision while patients treated through enucleation had less anxiety.

“Given that no significant differences in survival between enucleation and brachytherapy have been found, the differences demonstrated here for driving and anxiety will allow the individual patient and physician to make informed choices regarding treatment based on personal preferences,” according to the Collaborative Ocular Melanoma Study.

The study set out to gauge health- and vision-targeted quality of life in ocular melanoma patients by measuring anxiety, depression and difficulty with driving, near vision activities and activities using binocularity. They interviewed 209 patients at baseline, at 6 months and at the annual anniversary of enrollment.

“Relatively small, but significant differences favoring brachytherapy-treated patients were observed for driving during the first year and for peripheral vision during the first 2 years of follow-up,” the study said. “Patients treated with brachytherapy with symptoms of anxiety were less like likely to report later resolution than patients with symptoms of anxiety who were treated with enucleation.”

The study is published in the February issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.