Eye Cancer: Overview
Eye cancer is a general term used to describe many types of tumors that can start in various parts of the eye. It occurs when healthy cells in or around the eye change and grow uncontrollably, forming a mass called a tumor. A tumor can be benign or cancerous. A benign tumor means the tumor can grow but will not spread. A cancerous tumor is malignant, meaning it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer that forms in the eyeball is called an intraocular (inside the eye) malignancy.
Parts of the eye
The eye is the organ that collects light and sends messages to the brain to form a picture. The three main parts of the eye are:
- Eyeball
- Orbit (eye socket)
- Adnexal (accessory) structures, such as the eyelid and tear glands
The outer part of the eye is made up of the sclera, retina, and uvea. The sclera is the outer wall of the eyeball. The retina is a thin-layered structure that lines the eyeball and sends information from the eye to the brain. The uvea nourishes the eye. Both the retina and the uvea contain blood vessels.
The uvea consists of the following:
- Iris: The colored part of the eye that controls the amount of light entering the eye
- Ciliary body: Muscular tissue that produces the watery fluid in the eye and helps the eye focus
- Choroid: The layer of tissue underneath the retina that contains connective tissue and melanocytes, which are pigmented (colored) cells, and nourishes the inside of the eye. The choroid is the most common site for a tumor.
Types of intraocular cancer
The most common intraocular cancer in adults is uveal metastases, which is cancer that has spread to the uvea from another place in the body. This is called secondary cancer. This guide is about primary intraocular cancer, meaning that the tumor started in the eye, not somewhere else in the body.
Melanoma is the most common type of primary intraocular cancer in adults. It begins when cells called melanocytes to grow uncontrollably. Intraocular melanoma is also called uveal melanoma.
Other, less common types of an intraocular tumor include:
- Intraocular lymphoma is a lymphoma that begins in the eyeball. This condition is rare and can be difficult for doctors to diagnose. Many doctors consider Intraocular lymphoma to be a type of central nervous system lymphoma. Most intraocular lymphomas are non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
- A retinoblastoma is a rare form of childhood eye cancer.
- Hemangioma is a benign tumor of the choroid and retina that starts in the blood vessels.
Other, rare cancers of the eye include:
- Conjunctival melanoma is a tumor of the conjunctiva, which is a membrane that lines the eyelid and eyeball. If it is not treated, it can spread to the lymph nodes, which are tiny, bean-shaped organs located throughout the body that fight disease. A conjunctival melanoma tends to recur (come back after treatment) on the eye’s surface and looks like dark spots on the eye. Doctors often perform a biopsy on a spot that appears to be conjunctival melanoma. A biopsy is the removal of a sample of the tissue for examination under a microscope.
- Eyelid carcinoma (basal or squamous cell) is a variation of skin cancer. This tumor may be surgically removed and is usually not dangerous if it is treated early.
- Lacrimal gland tumor is a benign or malignant tumor of the glands that produce tears.
Facts About Retinoblastoma
What is retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma is a type of cancer that forms in the retina (the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye).
Signs and Symptoms of Retinoblastoma
A pupil that looks white or black instead of red when light hits it.
- A crossed eye (looking either toward the nose or toward the ear)
- Poor vision.
- A red, painful eye.
- An enlarged pupil.
Who is at risk for retinoblastoma?
The disease usually occurs in children younger than 5 years and maybe in one eye or in both eyes. In some cases, the disease is inherited from a parent.
Treatment
How is retinoblastoma treated?
Retinoblastoma is a serious, life-threatening disease. However, with early diagnosis and timely treatment, in most cases, a child’s eyesight and life can be saved.
Contact Our Team
If you are looking for any of below services, please fill the form below, one of our team members will get in touch to provide you with full facilitation:
1- Comprehensive Primary Eye Exam/ Consultation
- Consultation ::: Adult Eye Examination and Consultation
- Consultation ::: Children Eye Examination Refraction Consultation
- Consultation ::: Infant Eye Examination Refraction Consultation
2-Secondary Follow up Eye Examination and Consultations
- Followup ::: Examination under Sedation for Kids (After Initial Consultation)
- Followup ::: Dilated Fundus Examination(DFE)
- Followup ::: Cycloplegic Refraction and DFE
3-Diagnostic Eye Test
- Diagnostic ::: OCT
- Diagnostic ::: Angio OCT
- Diagnostic ::: Anterior Segment OCT
- Diagnostic ::: Pachymetry
- Diagnostic ::: Perimetry/Visual Fields
- Diagnostic ::: Hess Chart/Digital Squint Assessment/Digital Diplopia Test
- Diagnostic ::: Digital Colour vision test
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