EyeMelanoma.org

EyeMelanoma.org highlights both ocular melanoma educational materials and patient support resources available on the internet.

Ocular melanoma is a rare cancer that begins in the cells that make the pigment (melanin) in the eye. Both of the terms Eye Melanoma and Ocular Melanoma are used more broadly to describe this type of eye cancer. (Ocular means "of the eye.") There are also more specific medical terms that are used based on the location of the eye tumor:

Melanoma within the eye (intraocular) is found in the uvea, so the terms lntraocular Melanoma or Uveal Melanoma are used interchangeably. Depending on where the tumor is located within the uvea, the cancer can also be more specifically identified as either Choroidal Melanoma (about 90% of uveal melanomas), Ciliary Body Melanoma, or Iris Melanoma. The uvea — the middle layer of the eye lying above the retina and beneath the sclera and cornea — is the site for melanomas of the eye approx. 95% of the time.
The other approx. 5% of eye melanomas occur in the conjunctiva membrane that covers the white outer layer (sclera) of the eye and that lines the eyelid, so this is referred to as Conjunctival Melanoma.

Illustration provided with permission from National Institutes of Health's National Eye Institute.

About This Website

Patient Empowerment • Hope • Informed Decision Making

As healthcare professionals, my sister and I always believed strongly in creating environments that support patient empowerment, hope, and informed decision making. We then found ourselves needing to personally apply this same approach when she was diagnosed with ocular melanoma.

And so it was in her honor that EyeMelanoma.org was established in 2011 as a website focused specifically on providing patients and their families with online links to useful resources and to accurate up-to-date information on this rare cancer.

This website continues to be actively maintained.
Throughout the year, new resources from trustworthy organizations (primarily healthcare organizations, health-related nonprofits, medical journal publishers, academic/medical centers, medical associations, and public health agencies) are added.
Existing resources and their links are re-verified throughout the year as well.
Resources are listed alphabetically or in date order with the accompanying descriptions quoted directly from their websites.

The EyeMelanoma.org website is very much meant to be a place of encouragement. I hope that when using the links to educational videos, patient guides, support services, medical journal articles, clinical trials, organizations, and the many other types of resources compiled here, you are heartened by the continuously expanding work being done in ocular melanoma research, treatment, and support by truly dedicated people.

Wishing everyone strength and healing,

Erica Barrett, MOT, MBA

In loving honor of my sister Paula

This not-for-profit website does not contain any advertisements and does not receive funding/donations of any kind.

EyeMelanoma.org's mission is to serve as a reliable reference guide to well-respected resources

About This Website