The European Rare Adult Solid Cancer Network plan for uveal melanoma

In a perspective paper authored by members of UM Cure 2020, ERN-EURACAN representatives describe how this initiative will improve the care of uveal melanoma patients.

 

Launched in 2017, the European Reference Networks (ERNs) involve hundreds of European healthcare providers, with the general purpose of improving care of patients with complex diseases. EUropean Rare Adult solid CAncer Network (EURACAN) is the ERN dedicated to rare adult solid cancers. One of the subdomains of this network is dedicated to uveal melanoma (UM). EURACAN aims to describe the organisation of UM care in each participating country, to develop clinical practice recommendations, and to identify the expert centres for patients’ referral.

In this paper, the authors provide an overview of uveal melanoma keypoints and a list of the main unmet clinical needs: early diagnosis of the disease, treatment in specialised centres, recognition of high-risk patients for proper surveillance after eye tumour surgery, and participation in clinical trials when the tumour spreads to other parts of the body.

EURACAN, in collaboration with academic societies and international groups, represents a unique European effort to address these unmet needs by promoting training and education to raise awareness about UM, fostering better access to treatments in reference centres, stimulating preclinical research to better understand the tumour biology, and arousing scientific interest to attract funding and resources to UM-related research and clinical trials.

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