ST. LOUIS -- Finding a gene that triggers the spread of eye melanoma was a discovery whose time had come, said researcher Dr. J. William Harbour, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at Washington University School of Medicine.
The discovery demonstrates how science piggy-backs itself and leads to discoveries that wouldn't happen without other discoveries -- some of which are difficult to understand at the time they're discovered.
In this case, Washington University researchers discovered how a gene malfunctioned, causing eye melanoma to spread and become fatal.
Melanoma is a cancer normally associated with the skin, but it can occur anywhere in the body where pigment cells (melanocytes) are found, including the eye. Eye melanoma is the second most common form of melanoma. It doesn't always spread, but when it does, it's nearly always fatal.