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Association of Fitzpatrick Skin Type with metastatic risk from uveal melanoma in 854 consecutive patients at a single center

Eye volume 38, pages 565–571 (2024)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Objective

To assess the association of skin color using Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST) with metastatic risk of uveal melanoma.

Subjects

854 consecutive patients with uveal melanoma and documented FST.

Methods

Retrospective detailed review of patient charts was performed for FST (type I- white, II-fair, III-average, IV-light brown, V-brown, VI-black), clinical details of the patient and the uveal melanoma, tumor cytogenetic classification according to The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), and outcome of melanoma-related metastasis and death.

Results

The FST classification was type I (n = 97 patients), type II (n = 665), type III (n = 79), type IV (n = 11), type V (n = 2), type VI (n = 0). A comparison of patient FST (type I vs. II vs. III-V) revealed significant differences in mean age at presentation (64.1 vs. 58.5 vs. 49.8 years, p < 0.001), race white (100% vs. 98% vs. 75%, p < 0.001), presence of ocular melanocytosis (3% vs. 3% vs. 10%, p = 0.01), visual acuity <20/200 at presentation (6% vs. 7% vs. 13%, p = 0.03), genetic results showing TCGA group B tumors (11% vs. 14% vs. 26%, p = 0.01) or TCGA group D tumors (22% vs. 11% vs. 9%, p = 0.01), 10-year incidence of melanoma-related metastasis (25% vs. 15% vs. 14%, p = 0.02) and 10-year incidence of melanoma-related death (9% vs. 3% vs. 4%, p = 0.04). FST was a significant predictor of melanoma-related metastasis (p = 0.02, Hazard ratio 2.3).

Conclusions

Fitzpatrick skin type may be a predictor of melanoma-related metastasis, with metastasis and TCGA Group D tumors being more common in patients with FST I.

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Fig. 1: Kaplan-Meier analysis of uveal melanoma-related metastasis (Fig. 1A) and death (Fig. 1B) based on Fitzpatrick Skin Type (FST).

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Data availability

The raw data for the study are not publicly available to preserve individuals’ privacy under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) and European General Data Protection Regulation. CLS, M.D. has had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data.

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Funding

Funding

Support provided in part by the Eye Tumor Research Foundation, Philadelphia, PA (CLS). The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study, in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, and in the preparation, review or approval of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. From the Ocular Oncology Service, Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, 840 Walnut Street, 14th Floor, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA

    Guy S. Negretti, Ferris Bayasi, Samuel Goldstein, Michelle Omega, Olivia Taylor, Roselind Ni, Lawrence Chiang, Rachel Kim, Eric Lien, Matthew Barke, Philip W. Dockery & Carol L. Shields

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  1. Guy S. Negretti
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Correspondence to Carol L. Shields.

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Negretti, G.S., Bayasi, F., Goldstein, S. et al. Association of Fitzpatrick Skin Type with metastatic risk from uveal melanoma in 854 consecutive patients at a single center. Eye 38, 565–571 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-023-02735-1

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