In our previous study (58 HNC patients irradiated using IMRT technique), we observed that patients with T allele of TNFRSF1A gene (− 1187 T > G, rs4149570) demonstrated a higher risk of manifestation of grade 3 OM in the 5th, 6th and 7th week of RTH [28]. This evidence concerns the gene TNFRSF1A and ocular melanoma.