Survival rates after enucleation of eyes with malignant melanoma.

We investigated the rates of mortality for several types of malignant melanomas for evidence that surgery accelerates metastasis. Additionally, we reanalyzed uveal melanoma survival rates from the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology. Our computations showed higher death rates in years two to five after diagnosis than in years one or six to ten. The same pattern of a peak mortality in the early years after diagnosis and lower rates six to ten years thereafter was seen in all tumor types studied. Our analysis of survival rates produced no evidence to alter the existing pattern of treatment for malignant melanoma of the uvea.