Uveal Melanoma

​​Uveal melanoma is a rare type of cancer that affects your eye and often spreads to distant organs, especially the liver. Tate Kirk, MD, in White Plains, New York, is an expert interventional radiologist specializing in image-guided therapies that precisely treat the metastatic liver tumors while preserving the neighboring healthy tissue. Dr. Kirk's work in the field of uveal melanoma has earned him the prestigious Vision of Hope award from the Melanoma Research Foundation. To learn more about minimally invasive treatment options for metastatic uveal melanoma, call the office to request a consultation today.

What is uveal melanoma?

Uveal melanoma is a rare cancer that forms in the middle layer of your eye (called the uvea), which includes the iris, ciliary body, and choroid. It develops from pigment-producing cells and affects less than 5,000 people each year.

Many cases don’t cause symptoms early on, but as the tumor grows, you experience:

• Blurred vision
• Flashes
• Floaters
• A dark spot on your iris
• Decreased central vision
• Loss of peripheral vision

Dr. Kirk uses imaging to help guide diagnosis and treatment planning for metastatic uveal melanoma that has spread to the liver.

How is metastatic uveal melanoma treated?

If the cancer spreads beyond your eye, it often travels to your liver first. In these cases, treatment may shift to managing tumors within your liver using minimally invasive, image-guided therapies in addition to systemic therapy. Dr. Kirk specializes in liver-directed treatments and advanced interventional oncology techniques designed to target tumors with precision, including:

• Tumor ablation and histotripsy to destroy cancer cells
• Embolization to block the flow of blood to tumors
• Y-90 radioembolization to deliver targeted radiation
• Immunoembolization, a combination of embolization with immune-stimulating therapy

These therapies target tumors directly while engaging your immune system and addressing cancer at its source.

What can I expect during uveal melanoma treatment?

You receive medication to help you relax, along with local anesthesia to keep you comfortable during the procedure. In cases treated with Y90 or immunoembolization, Dr. Kirk places a thin catheter through your groin or wrist to deliver treatment directly to the specified area. In cases of ablation or histotripy, you will be placed under general anesthesia and the target area will be treated with a microwave probe directly inserted through the skin under imaging guidance or directly with ultrasound waves.

Because these procedures are minimally invasive, they’re well tolerated, and you’ll have a faster recovery compared to traditional surgery. Dr. Kirk performs many of the procedures on an outpatient basis at a premier ambulatory center.

After treatment, you may feel tired and sore for a few days, but you can resume your normal activities in about a week. Dr. Kirk will give you specific instructions depending on the treatment method used. Ongoing follow-up and imaging are an important part of your continued care.

If you’ve been diagnosed with metastatic uveal melanoma and need expert care and guidance, call the office or book an appointment online today.