Characterization of Vascular Response to Brachytherapy Using Functional Optical Coherence Tomography

Despite having excellent local tumor control rates, uveal melanoma remains a life-threatening cancer, and even eye-sparing therapy with radiation treatment often leads to significant loss of vision. Major challenges to providing care to patients with uveal melanoma include the inability to accurately predict long-term vision in an eye treated with radiation, due to a poor understanding of the nature of radiation retinopathy and optic neuropathy. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a commonly used ophthalmic imaging modality that provides precise, real-time data in vivo in a non-invasive manner. Our research group has recently developed two novel functional OCT technologies: (1) Doppler OCT to quantitatively measure total retinal flow and (2) OCT angiography technology to map optic nerve head, retinal, and choroidal blood flow with unprecedented accuracy. The investigators believe this technology can be utilized to improve understanding of radiation-induced vascular changes in the optic nerve and retina that cause vision loss in patients treated with radiation, as well as provide a tool to monitor tumor response to treatment.

In this study, the investigators intend to utilize these novel functional OCT technologies to describe the changes over time in optic nerve head and retinal blood flow after I-125 radiation therapy, and to evaluate the relationship between changes in flow and decreased vision. The investigators will also study the association between changes in flow and the total radiation doses received by the optic nerve head and macula, which varies based upon tumor location and size.