Uveal and Conjunctival Malignant Melanoma in Denmark 1943–97: Observed and Relative Survival of Patients Followed Through 2002

Purpose: To evaluate the observed and relative survival of patients diagnosed with a malignant melanoma in the ocular region in Denmark during the period 1943–97. Methods: The study included 2504 patients (1292 men and 1212 women) diagnosed with a melanoma in the ocular region, of which 2434 cases could be topographically subclassified into 2178 in the choroid/ciliary body, 141 in the iris, and 115 in the conjunctiva. The patients were followed through 2002 and the observed survival proportions and relative survival ratios were estimated. Results: For the total ocular region and the choroid/ciliary body, the observed survival did not vary statistically significantly with the year of diagnosis. A statistically insignificant higher observed survival for women than men was found for tumors in the ocular region and the subgroups choroid/ciliary body, iris, and conjunctiva. During the 55-year study period, the 5- and 10-year relative survival remained stable for the ocular region for men at 67% and 57% and for...