No one is surprised when it comes to breast, prostate, pancreatic or larynx cancer. But it is not so usual to associate this term, that of cancer, with the eyes. Eye cancers, although rare – ocular melanoma, for example, is estimated to be an extremely rare form of cancer affecting the eye with an incidence of five per million adults-, they also exist.
Cancer occurs when abnormal changes occur in the body’s cells, abnormal cells that divide and grow. In many cases there are no early symptoms or warning signs, especially if it is small and not near the most visible structures of the eye. Then the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Here, as in many other types of cancer, reaction time is crucial to save your eyesight and eye.
Different types of eye cancer
Eye cancer is the term used for several types of cancer that can develop in or around the eyelids, eyes, and eye socket. The eyelid tumors They appear, as the name indicates, on the eyelids, an area of the body that is often forgotten and poorly cared for when it comes to protecting it from solar radiation. This makes it one of the most frequent malignant eye tumors as they make up between 80-90% of tumors in the periorbital region.
Among eyelid tumors, the most common is Basal cell carcinoma, which usually manifests as a lump or ulcer, slow but continuous growth, with crusts that may ulcerate. According to Dr. Francisco Javier González, ophthalmologist at the King Juan Carlos University Hospitalfrom Móstoles, and author of the Blogs of the hospital’s Ophthalmology Service, this type of tumor is more frequent in the lower eyelid and inner canthus, the lacrimal area. Surgery is usually the best treatment.
There are other eyelid tumors but they behave more aggressively and in some cases they can even move to other areas. Let’s talk about epidermoid or sebaceous cell carcinoma. Although less common, melanoma can also affect this area of the eye. For Dr. Francisco Javier González, when faced with warning signs such as moles that grow, change color or have asymmetric edges, it is important to consult an ophthalmologist.
Los orbital tumors They are found in the orbital cavity, which surrounds the eye. These, due to their location, are difficult to access and usually cause symptoms such as bulging or wandering eyes or double vision. Malignant tumors derived from the lacrimal gland can appear and manifest with what is called proptosis, known as bulging eyes.
Lymphomas, cavernous hemangiomas, or optic nerve tumors may also appear in the orbit. Tumors can also settle in the tissue itself. eyeballwhich usually have an easy ability to migrate to other parts of the body, such as primary ocular melanoma, which is difficult to diagnose due to its more hidden location.
Finally the retinoblastoma It is another type of tumor found in the innermost part of the eye, the retina. It is one of the most frequent in childhood, mainly due to its strong hereditary and genetic character. According to data from the Spanish Retinoblastoma Association (are), accounts for 10-15% of cancers diagnosed during the first year of life. In Spain they are usually diagnosed 20-30 new cases a year. Despite being a potentially fatal disease, today, and thanks to the treatments applied early, survival can be greater than 95% of cases.
What signs should we pay attention to?
In the early stages of cancer there may be few or no symptoms. It is common for the ophthalmologist to be the first to notice abnormalities that may indicate cancer. When symptoms appear, they usually do so in the form of blurred vision, double vision, irritation, pain, seeing flashes of light in the eye, reduced field of vision, or loss of vision.
Other symptoms that may appear are feeling of a foreign body in the field of vision, redness, swelling or displacement of the eye, a change in the shape of the pupil and pressure inside the eye. In the case of retinoblastoma, the pupil may appear white instead of red, especially when exposed to bright light, such as a flash of lightning. It is important, whatever the symptoms, to consult a specialist as soon as possible to rule out cancer or, if positive, to act as quickly as possible.
What is the treatment for eye cancer?
It is usually very treatable, although it should be addressed as soon as possible for best results. Treatment will also depend on the type of cancer, its size, and whether or not it has spread. In general terms, the main treatments are the use of lasers to destroy cancer cells, radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells, and surgery to remove cancerous tissue.
Chemotherapy is useful for killing cancer cells with drugs, is often effective for eye lymphoma and retinoblastoma, and is often used when other treatments haven’t worked or the cancer has spread. In the case of ocular melanoma, the treatment, as recalled by art Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (I am here), requires great coordination between ophthalmologists and radiation oncologists.
