Bone Marrow and Blood Samples From Patients With Metastatic Choroid Melanoma

Evaluation of the Detection of Tumor Cells in Bone Marrow and Blood in Patients With Choroid Melanoma

RATIONALE: Studying samples of bone marrow and blood from patients with cancer may help doctors find out the extent of disease.

PURPOSE: This research study is collecting bone marrow and blood samples from patients with metastatic choroid melanoma.

OBJECTIVES:

Primary

• Develop and validate a method of detecting tumor cells in the bone marrow and blood in patients with metastatic choroid melanoma.

OUTLINE: While patients are under general anesthesia for standard treatment of their disease, samples of bone marrow from the iliac crest and blood are collected. Samples are analyzed for the expression of tyrosinase and Melan-a via RT-PCR.

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:

• Choroid melanoma

  • Metastatic disease

• Planning to undergo general anesthesia

PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:

• Not pregnant or nursing
• No contraindications to the collection of a bone marrow sample
• No patient deprived of liberty or under trusteeship (including guardianship)
• No social or psychological situations that preclude the ability to give consent

PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:

• Not specified