Uveal melanoma: Genetic aspects

The recent emphasis on the study of pathways and global gene expression changes has yielded exciting insights into the molecular pathogenesis of uveal melanoma. As the transformed uveal melanocyte replicates and progresses to a low-grade neoplasm and eventually a high-grade melanoma, the emerging picture is one of progressive deregulation of key regulatory pathways and a global reversion from melanocytic differentiation to a more embryonic or "epithelioid" phenotype with the capacity to invade and spread. Ongoing work in this field is leading rapidly to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that promise to improve the care of patients with uveal melanoma.