QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CHOROIDAL MELANOMA CALIDAD DE VIDA EN PACIENTES CON MELANOMA DE COROIDES

Purpose: To determine whether iodine 125 brachytherapy or enucleation is better for quality of life in patients treated for choroidal melanoma. Patients and methods: Sixty-five patients with choroidal melanoma were treated with a modified version of VF-14 iodine 125 brachytherapy, enucleation or both. Results of this treatment were then statistically analyzed. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between visual acuity in the affected eye and binocular vision (initial and final), with an important decline after the treatment. The global medial score in the VF questionnaire decreased in a statistically significant manner after the treatment. Conclusion: We can confirm that patients treated with brachytherapy had better health-related quality of life than those who had their eye enucleated and were more likely to have higher (better) scores on the VF questionnaire items. On the other hand, the binocular vision and time after the treatment correlated with the quality of life in long-term follow-up (Arch Soc Esp Oftalmol 2008; 83: 301-306).