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Dear CURE OM Community,
Welcome to the Summer edition of the Eye on OM Quarterly Newsletter! As always, we are excited to connect with you and share important OM community updates.
We are continually inspired by the strength, resilience and involvement of the OM community. In this issue, you’ll find a recap of the 14th Annual Eyes on a Cure Symposium, educational highlights, ways to get involved and opportunities to stay connected. Whether you’re newly diagnosed, a long-time advocate or a caregiver, your voice matters and helps drive progress.
Thank you for being a vital part of this community. We’re so glad you’re here.
Warm regards,
Miriam Kadosh, MSW, LCSW
Director of Education and Patient Engagement
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| If you missed any of our recent “Ask the Expert” or the Eyes on a Cure: Ocular Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium, we’ve got you covered! |
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Recap of the 14th Annual Eyes on a Cure: Ocular Melanoma Patient & Caregiver
The 14th Annual Eyes on a Cure: Ocular Melanoma Patient & Caregiver Symposium, hosted by the Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) in partnership with the Cleveland Clinic and Cole Eye Institute, brought together patients, caregivers, researchers and clinicians for a powerful weekend of connection, learning and hope. Special thanks to our incredible sponsors and partners for making this event possible.
To read the full event recap click here.
March Ask the Expert Recap with Dr. Arun
The March Ask the Expert focused on the latest advancements in primary OM treatment and clinical Trials. Dr. Arun Singh, Director of the Department of Ophthalmic Oncology at the Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic, discussed several promising treatments currently under investigation in clinical trials.
Click below to watch the full webinar to stay updated with the latest in OM care.
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| Upcoming Ask the Expert Webinars
Ask the Expert: Focusing on the Liver: Treatment Approaches in Metastatic Ocular Melanoma
Tuesday, July 15, 7:00 – 8:00 pm EST and 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST
When ocular melanoma spreads, it most often affects the liver. In this webinar, we’ll explore how doctors are targeting the liver with specialized treatments and what new options are being developed to treat the whole body. We’ll also discuss the first FDA-approved therapy for this rare cancer and what’s on the horizon in clinical trials. Whether you’re newly diagnosed or navigating ongoing care, this session will help you better understand the treatment landscape and what it means for you and your loved ones.
Presented by Vincent T. Ma, MD from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and Patient Advocate Paul Lynch.
This session is sponsored by Delcath and will be held via Zoom.
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Ask the Expert: 2025 ASCO Highlights for the Ocular Melanoma Community
Tuesday, July 22nd 7:00 – 8:00 pm EST and 4:00 – 5:00 pm PST
Join us for a special Ask the Expert webinar featuring Dr. Inderjit Mehmi, a leading medical oncologist specializing in melanoma. In this session, Dr. Mehmi will break down key takeaways from the 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting, with a focus on the latest research, treatment advances and clinical trial updates relevant to the ocular melanoma community. Whether you're a patient, caregiver or advocate, this is a valuable opportunity to hear expert insights and ask your questions live.
This session will be held via Zoom.
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Our 2025 Miles for Melanoma 5K season is off to an incredible start and there’s still time to get involved! Form an ocular melanoma team and make a meaningful impact alongside others in the OM community. At our upcoming Chicago event on Sunday, July 20, we’re proud to spotlight Team Wrobel’s Walkers, led by OM patient, MRF Board Member and team captain, Jill Wrobel. So far, they’ve raised over $2,000 to support research, awareness and advocacy for ocular melanoma and there’s still time to help them go even further!
Looking ahead, we’re hitting the road with events in Cleveland (Aug. 3), Twin Cities (Aug. 10), Philadelphia (Aug. 23), New York City (Sept. 13), New Jersey (Sept. 21), Seattle (Oct. 4) and Los Angeles (Oct. 5). Rally your team, start fundraising and unlock exciting incentives. We’re just getting started, let’s keep the momentum going all summer long in the fight against melanoma!
Interested in raising awareness and funds for ocular melanoma? You can create your own OM-specific team through the MRF’s Miles for Melanoma event!
Whether it’s in honor of a loved one or to rally your community, starting a team is a powerful way to make a difference. Use the link below to get started!
Support Groups: Space for Connection
We invite you to participate in our upcoming CURE OM online support groups, which take place monthly on:
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First Wednesday of each month from 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST / 10:00 – 11:00 AM PST
This group is held in partnership with the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson and is facilitated by Molly Vocino, MSW, LCSW, a licensed clinical oncology social worker.
These groups are designed to foster emotional support, shared understanding and connection. Whether you're newly navigating an ocular melanoma diagnosis or have been living with it for years, this is a space to reflect, express feelings, explore coping strategies and find comfort in community.
If you have joined a support group in the past or are considering joining in the future, we’d love to hear from you as we continue to grow and improve this program. Take the short survey.
Defense Funded Melanoma Research
The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense (HAC-D) released its committee report at the beginning of the month, detailing FY26 allocations for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP). Unfortunately, the Melanoma Research Program (MRP) was not allocated dedicated funding. Instead, the report indicated that melanoma research will be pulled into the Peer Reviewed Cancer Research Program (PRCRP) along with 17 other cancers, competing for $180 million in funds.
In response, the MRF circulated a sign on letter to the House Appropriations Committee leadership urging them to restore the MRP’s funding cut by the subcommittee. The letter included over 100 signatures from the medical research community as well as other patient advocacy organizations.
On June 12th, the full House Appropriations Committee held its markup of the Defense bill where ranking member of HAC-D, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN-4) proposed an amendment that would restore funding to the programs defunded by the subcommittee – including $10 million for the MRP. Rep. McCollum pulled her amendment after agreement from Chair Tom Cole (R-OK-4) and HAC-D Chair Ken Calvert (R-CA-41) to secure additional funds for those programs in conference.
The MRF is closely monitoring any further developments with respect to the CDMRP as the FY26 deadline approaches.
Research & Science Updates |
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| | Current treatments for uveal melanoma remain limited and ongoing translational research includes new drug targets discovery to expand current treatment options. Published on July 4th, 2025 in Nature Genetics, researchers found a potential drug target axis CDS1/CDS2 for uveal melanoma by studying uveal melanoma cells. Uveal melanoma has low CDS1 expression and the disruption of CDS2 lead to tumor cell death.
The encouraging research findings tested using animal models could lead to further development of drug targets in uveal melanoma and other cancers.
Read more about the study here. |
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| A Note on the VISION Platform |
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| Thank you for your interest in VISION. The VISION Platform is on a temporary administrative hold. If you are already enrolled in VISION you will be notified by email when the study is up and running again. If you are not already enrolled and/or have questions or concerns or require additional resources please reach out to Miriam Kadosh at mkadosh@melanoma.org. Thank you for your patience! OM Clinical Trials Finder Updates Looking for treatment options or want to learn more about what's available? The Ocular Melanoma Clinical Trials Finder is a free, easy-to-use tool that helps patients and caregivers explore clinical trials that may be a match. To get started, click here. |
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| Join Us for Our Upcoming Events |
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August 6: CURE OM Online Support Group (1st Wednesday)
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October 1: CURE OM Online Support Group (1st Wednesday)
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1420 K Street NW, 7th Floor Washington, DC 20005 | Tel: (202) 347-9675
Melanoma Research Foundation © 2025 All rights reserved.
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