Incidence and survival of ocular melanoma in National Cancer Registry of Poland in 2010–2017

Abstract

Background. Oncology trends are based on data coming from different countries and ocular melanoma is the most common primary eye cancer in adults. Objectives.To investigate the incidence and characteristics of ocular melanoma in the overall population of Poland. Materials and methods.The retrospective survey of both the National Cancer Registry (NCR) and National Health Fund (NHF) databases was performed to identify all ocular melanoma cases in Poland in 2010-2017.Results. The mean incidence of ocular melanoma was 8.76/1,000,000 person-years; the lowest incidence was observed in the 19-29 age group (1. 17/1,000,000 person-years) and the highest in the group over 70 (22.88/1,000,000 person-years). There were no statistically significant trends in the incidence rates over the study period. The overall incidences of uveal, eyelid and conjunctival melanoma were 6.67/1,000,000, 0.47/1,000,000 and 0.28/1,000,000 person-years, respectively. The 5-year overall survival (OS) was 60.76%; the higher risk of death was associated with male sex (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.2959), older age at diagnosis (HR = 1.0379), chemotherapy treatment (HR = 1.6774), metastasis (HR = 1.5716), loco-regional hyperplasia (HR = 1.5936), and systemic tumor spread (HR = 3.9872), compared to the carcinoma in situ. The risk of death was reduced by radiotherapy treatment (HR = 0.6645). Conclusions.The incidence rate of ocular melanoma in Poland is in the middle of the range worldwide, and the 5-year OS is relatively low.

Sex Differences in the Treatment of Uveal Melanoma in a Group of 1336 Patients

“…In total, 1336 patients with ocular melanoma were identified in the national referral center in Poland between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2021, including 726 women (54.34%) and 610 men (45.66%) ( Table 1 ). The sex distribution in our study population was similar to that found among patients with ocular melanoma in the whole population of Poland (statistical analysis—Chi squared test: χ2 = 0.20, p = 0.6570) [ 13 ]. The prevalence rate per 100 people varied from 52.53 in 2021 to 56.87 in 2019 in women, and from 43.13 in 2019 to 47,47 in 2021 in men, respectively ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…Most of them showed an increased age-adjusted incidence rate of ocular melanoma among men [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ], but in other large cohort clinical studies with no age adjustment, no sex-based differences were reported [ 3 ]. In contrast to those studies, the incidence rate of ocular melanoma in Poland was higher in women [ 13 ]; this was attributable to the excess male death rate characteristic to Eastern European countries, which continues to have an effect in Poland [ 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The other sex differences observed among patients with uveal melanoma included tumor size, localization of the tumor, as well as the development of metastases and mortality rate.…”

“…In total, 1336 patients were diagnosed with uveal melanoma and treated between 2018 and 2021 in the national referral center (Department of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Oncology, Jagiellonian University Collegium Medicum, Krakow, Poland), and the majority were women (54.34% of patients). According to data from the National Cancer Registry (NCR) of Poland, our sample was a fair representation of the uveal melanoma population in Poland in terms of sex distribution (statistical analysis—Chi squared test: χ2 = 0.20, p = 0.6570) [ 13 ]. NCR data also revealed that the incidence rate of uveal melanoma in the whole population of Poland is 6.67/1,000,000 person-years, with the majority of patients with ocular melanoma in Poland being women (53.57%) [ 13 ].…”

“…According to data from the National Cancer Registry (NCR) of Poland, our sample was a fair representation of the uveal melanoma population in Poland in terms of sex distribution (statistical analysis—Chi squared test: χ2 = 0.20, p = 0.6570) [ 13 ]. NCR data also revealed that the incidence rate of uveal melanoma in the whole population of Poland is 6.67/1,000,000 person-years, with the majority of patients with ocular melanoma in Poland being women (53.57%) [ 13 ]. In other large, demographic-relevant studies such as the SEER-based reports by Singh et al, Bishop et al, and Mahendraraj et al, the age-adjusted incidence rate of ocular melanoma was significantly higher in men [ 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

“…In men, tumors tended to be larger and more posterior than in women. Men suffered more metastases, and their mortality rate was also higher than in women (in studies with less than 10 years of follow-up) [ 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ].…”