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Remembering risk factors for melanoma can save lives
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LISBON, Portugal — Recalling the basic risk factors for uveal melanoma one learned as a resident may help save lives, according to one surgeon.
Carol S.L. Shields, MD, reminded attendees how to identify those at risk for developing ocular melanoma during the Kreissig Award Lecture she delivered here at the Euretina meeting.
“We have to remember there are five important risk factors, which can be memorized using the simple pneumonic TFSOM — To Find Small Ocular Melanoma,” Dr. Shields said.
‘T’ stands for thickness, ‘S’ for symptoms, ‘F’ for fluid, ‘O’ for orange pigment and ‘M’ for margin at the optic disc, she explained.
Dr. Shields said patients with nevi who have three or more of those risk factors have a 50% risk of developing melanoma.
“Don’t mistake these small melanomas for nevi,” Dr. Shields said. “Remember the risk factors and you may save a life.”
She noted that nevus growths alone result in an eightfold increased risk for developing metastatic disease.
Dr. Shields touched on the six important choroidal tumors: nevus, melanoma, metastasis, hemangioma, osteoma and retinoblastoma.
As for the risk of ocular nevi developing into melanoma, Dr. Shields said that — while there is conflicting literature on the subject — a study published last month by Tero Kivelä, MD, found that the lifetime risk of someone developing melanoma is estimated at 0.8%.
“This is why it is important for doctors to know the risk factors,” she said.