Simultaneous compares the expression levels of many genes between two or more sample types.

• Helps scientists identify the molecular basis for phenotypic differences and select gene expression targets

The test requires a small sample of the patient's tumor

• Scholarly Articles 
• Castle Main Link
• My Uveal Melanoma (Castle-sponsored site)
• Gene Expression Profiling
• Life Technologies

• Measures Gene Expression Profile (GEP), molecular signature, or gene expression patterns, of an ocular melanoma tumor
• Identifies with high accuracy the likelihood of metastasis
• Compared to traditional staging methods and to chromosome 3 testing. 
• This test was found to be better than the other two tests. 

Genomic changes, most importantly loss of a single copy of chromosome 3, are associated with an increased risk of metastasis.2–5Gene expression profiling of uveal melanomas has revealed 2 distinct classes of tumors that accurately predict prognosis. Class 1 tumors are unlikely to metastasize, while class 2 tumors are more likely to metastasize and cause death. The genetic signature of class 1 and class 2 tumors can be assessed from a traditional biopsy or from a fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB). This gene expression profiling has been shown to have superior predictive accuracy when compared to the analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridization or array comparative genomic hybridization looking only at monosomy.

BRAF mutations in conjunctival melanoma

"tumors with this mutation tended to have a larger diameter and greater depth of invasion and to contain epithelioid cells."

More about the BRAF studies

Different path with KIT Mutations

Some more mutations leading to different kinds of Conjunctival Melanoma

Is there a test that takes all of the mutations possible and puts out their output?
If so, is there any correlations between certain mutations and certain symptoms?
Do multiple mutations account for common symptoms? 
Do single mutations account for multiple symptoms?
How consistent are correlations between mutations and development of the disease?

The genetic expression profiles of those discriminating genes were verified in uveal melanoma tumors using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) methods, and predictive modeling was performed to identify an optimum set of genes able to accurately predict metastatic risk and report class assignments.

• PET Imaging
• Histologic Features of Conjunctival Melanoma Predictive of Metastasis and Death

Promoter mutations
(Full article)

• Image showing mutations relative to conjunctival
• Review of Telomeres, Telemerase, Tumerigensis
• Highly Recurrent TERT mutations in human melanoma

DecisionDX-UM Summary: GEP Test enables accurate staging of metastatic risk. (2013) My Uveal Melanoma. Retrieved October 15, 2013 from http://myuvealmelanoma.com/health-care-professionals/decisiondx-um-summary/

Griewank K. G,Westekemper H, Murali R. Mach M, Schilling B, Wiesner T, Schimming T, … Schandendorf D. (2013). Conjunctival Melanomas harbor BRAF and NRAS mutations and copy number changes similar to cutaneous and mucosal melanomas. Clinical Cancer Research, 19(12) 3143-52 doi: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-13-0163.

Michael C. Chappell, Devron H. Char, Tia B. Cole, J. William Harbour, Kavita Mishra, Vivian K. Weinberg, Theodore L. Phillips. (2012). Uveal Melanoma: Molecular Pattern, Clinical Features, and Radiation Response. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 0002-9394 doi: 10.1016/j.ajo.2012.02.022.Description