Uveal metastasis from lung cancer: clinical features, treatment, and outcome in 194 patients.

PURPOSE

To evaluate the clinical features, treatment, and prognosis of patients with uveal metastasis from lung cancer.

DESIGN

Retrospective chart review.

PARTICIPANTS

There were 194 patients with a diagnosis of uveal metastasis from lung cancer.

INTERVENTION

Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, enucleation, or observation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Ocular tumor control, final visual acuity, and tumor-related death.

RESULTS

There were 374 uveal metastatic tumors originating from primary lung cancer in 229 eyes of 194 patients. Tumor location included choroid (88%), ciliary body (2%), and iris (10%), with bilateral involvement in 18%. Diagnosis of uveal metastasis preceded the diagnosis of primary lung cancer in 44% of patients. The choroidal metastatic focus had a mean basal diameter of 8 mm and mean thickness of 3 mm, and were mostly located posterior to the equator (91%). The choroidal metastasis commonly had yellow or orange color (98%), had plateau (61%) or dome (38%) configuration, and displayed associated subretinal fluid (85%). Choroidal tumors were multifocal in 49 cases (23%). Ciliary body tumors were commonly dome shaped (75%) with an episcleral sentinel vessel (75%). Iris tumors were multifocal in 2 cases (13%), had visible intrinsic vessels (97%), and were associated with tumor seeding in the angle (38%) or on the iris stroma (25%). The uveal metastases were treated with teletherapy (31%), chemotherapy (18%), brachytherapy (9%), chemotherapy combined with teletherapy or brachytherapy (14%), enucleation (3%), or observation (21%). At last visit, eyes with follow-up showed tumor regression (66%), stability (12%), growth (14%), recurrence (3%), or new metastasis (5%). Visual acuity improved or remained stable in 59% eyes. One-year mortality from the time of detection of uveal metastasis was 54%.

CONCLUSIONS

Of 194 patients with uveal metastasis from lung cancer, 44% did not have a history of known lung cancer. Current methods of ocular treatment allow globe salvage in 92% of patients and improved/stable vision in 59% of patients. Systemic prognosis remains poor with tumor-related death in 54% of patients at 1 year.