Uveal melanoma is a type of eye cancer in the uvea of the eye. It is traditionally classed as originating in the iris, choroid, and ciliary body, but can also be divided into class I (low metastatic risk) and class II (high metastatic risk). Symptoms include blurred vision, loss of vision or photopsia, but there may be no symptoms. Tumors arise from the pigment cells (melanocytes) that reside within the uvea and give color to the eye. These melanocytes are distinct from the retinal pigment epithelium cells underlying the retina that do not form melanomas. When eye melanoma is spread to distant parts of the body, the five-year survival rate is about 15%. It is the most common type of primary eye cancer. Males and females are affected equally. Worldwide, there are around 2 million to 8 million cases per year. More than 50% spread, mostly to the liver. Signs and symptoms Ocular melanoma may present without symptoms depending upon the location and size of the tumor. When symptoms do occur, they can include: blurred vision double vision (diplopia) irritation pain a perception of flashes of light in the eye (photopsia) a reduction in the total field of vision loss of vision a sensation of a foreign body in the field of vision (floaters) redness, bulging or displacement of the eye (proptosis) a change in the shape of the pupil pressure within the eye metamorphopsia (a distortion of vision where, when a person looks at a grid of straight lines, the lines appear wavy and parts of the grid appears blank). Types Uveal melanomas, often referred to by the media and in the general population as ocular melanomas, may arise from any of the three parts of the uvea, and are sometimes referred to by their location, choroidal melanoma, ciliary body melanoma, or iris melanoma. Large tumors often encompass multiple parts of the uvea and can be named accordingly. True iris melanomas, originating from within the iris as opposed to originating elsewhere and invading the iris, are distinct in their etiology and prognosis, such that the other tumors are often referred to collectively as posterior uveal melanomas. Iris melanoma Uveal tumors can originate from melanocytes residing within the iris. Benign melanocytic tumors, such as iris freckles and moles (nevi), are common and pose no health risks, unless they show signs of malignancy, in which case they are classified as iris