Eye cancer

Eye cancer | NHS inform Home Illnesses and conditions Symptoms and self-help Tests and treatments Healthy living Care, support and rights Scotlands Service Directory 0 Home Illnesses and conditions Cancer Cancer types in adults Eye cancer Eye cancer There are a number of different types of cancer that affect the eyes, including: eye melanoma squamous cell carcinoma lymphoma retinoblastoma  a childhood cancer Cancer can also sometimes develop in the tissues surrounding your eyeball or spread to the eye from otherparts of the body, such as the lungs or breasts. This topic focuses on melanoma of the eye, one of the most common types of eye cancer. Symptoms of eye cancer Eye cancer doesnt always cause obvious symptoms and may only be picked up during a routine eye test. Symptoms of eye cancer can include: shadows, flashes of light, or wiggly lines in your vision blurred vision a dark patch in youreye thats getting bigger partial or total loss of vision bulging of one eye a lump on your eyelid or inyour eye thats increasing in size pain in or around your eye, although this is rare These symptoms can also be caused by more minor eye conditions, so theyre not necessarily a sign of cancer. However, its important to get the symptomschecked by a doctor as soon as possible. Melanoma of the eye Melanoma is cancer that develops from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. Mostmelanomas develop in the skin, but its also possible for them to occur in other parts of the body, including the eye. Eye melanoma most commonly affects the eyeball. Doctors sometimes call ituveal or choroidal melanoma, depending on exactly which part of your eye is affected. Itcan also affect the conjunctiva, the thinlayer that covers the front of the eye, or the eyelid. What causes eye melanoma? Eye melanoma occurs whenthe pigment-producing cells in the eyes divide and multiply too rapidly. This produces a lump of tissue known as a tumour. Its not clear exactly why this occurs, but the following factors may increase the risk of it happening: lighter eye colour  if you have blue, grey or green eyes, you have a higher risk of developing eye melanoma comparedwith people who have brown eyes white or pale skin  eye melanoma mostly affects white people and is more common inthose with fair skin unusual moles  if you haveirregularly shaped or unusually coloured moles, youre more at risk of developing skin cancer and eye melanoma use of sunbeds theres some evidence to suggest that exposing yourself to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds, for example, can increase your risk of eye melanoma overexposure to sunlight  this increases your risk of skin cancer, and may also be a risk factor for eye melanoma The risk of developing eye melanoma also increases with age, with most cases being diagnosed in people in their fifties. Diagnosing melanoma of the eye If your GP or optician (optometrist) suspectsyou have a serious problem with your eyes, they will refer you to a specialist eye doctor called an ophthalmologistfor an assessment. If they suspect you have melanoma of the eye, theyll refer you to a specialist centre for eye cancer. There are 4 centres in the UK, located in London, Sheffield, Liverpool, and Glasgow. Its likely youll have a number of different tests at the centre, including: an eye examination to look at the structures of your eyes in more detail and check for abnormalities an ultrasound scan of your eye a small probe placed over your closed eye uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the inside of your eye; this allowsyour doctor tofindout more about the position of the tumour and its size afluorescein angiogram  where photographs of the suspected cancer are taken using a special camera after dye has been injected into your bloodstream to highlight the tumour Occasionally,a thin needlemay beused to remove a small sampleof cells fromthetumour (biopsy) .The genetic information in these cells is analysed togive an indication of the chances of the cancer spreading or coming back. Treatments foreye melanoma Treatment for melanoma of the eye depends on the size and location of the tumour. Your care team will explain each treatment option in detail, including the benefits and any potential complications. Treatment will aim to conserve the affected eye whenever possible. The main treatments for eye melanoma are: brachytherapy tiny plates lined with radioactive material called plaques are inserted nearthe tumour and left in place for up to a week to kill the cancerous cells external radiotherapy  a machine is used to carefully aim beams of radiation at the tumour to kill the cancerous cells surgery to remove the tumour or part of the eye  this may be possible ifthe tumour is small and you still have some vision in your eye removal of the eye (enucleation)  this may be necessary if the tumour is large or youve lost your vision;the eye will eventually be replaced with an artificial eye that matchesyour other eye Chemotherapy is rarely used for eye melanoma, but may be suitable for other types of eye cancer. TheCancer Research UK website has more information about the treatment options for eye cancer and thetypes of eye cancer surgery. Source: NHS 24 - Opens in new browser window Last updated: 13 November 2023 How can we improve this page? Help us improve NHS inform Thank You Your feedback has been received Dont include personal information e.g. name, location or any personal health conditions. Email Address e.g. you@example.com Message Maximum of 500 characters Send feedback Add this page to\n            Info For Me Also on NHS inform Radiotherapy Other health sites Cancer Research UK: Eye cancer Macmillan Cancer Support: Eye cancer Search for cancer support services near you Enter a place or postcode NHS inform About NHS inform Editorial policy Contact us Webchat Give feedback about NHS inform Info for Me tool Terms and conditions Privacy and cookies policy Freedom of information (FOI) Accessibility Other languages and formats  2023 NHS 24  v1.1.1.17852