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Eye cancer: symptoms, causes, diagnosis and treatment

Eye cancer is one of the most rare types of cancer, it is often called melanoma of the eye. This tumor caused uncontrollable tumors in the structure of the eye.

Types of eye cancer

retinoblastomaEye cancer caused by uncontrolled growth of cells. It can develop inside the eyeball, and around it. There are several different types of eye cancer and it is quite a rare form.

Some types of cancer:

  • Melanoma;
  • Lymphoma;
  • Carcinoma;
  • Retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma or cancer of the retina develops in young children, usually under the age of 5 years. It is often inherited. In nine out of 10 cases it can be cured. The main signs of retinoblastoma: the occurrence of blindness, the pupil expands and may appear cross-eyed.

Causes of eye cancer

golubye glazaLike most other cancers, doctors are not completely sure how to develop this disease. However, there are some known risk factors that may increase the likelihood of developing cancer of the eye.

People who are at risk of the disease:

  • If you have blue, grey or green eyes, you are most likely likely to develop melanoma of the eye.
  • If you have a lot of moles that are unusual shapes or are especially large, it may increase your chances of developing melanoma of the eye.
  • Exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) increases the risk of Contracting eye cancer.
  • If you have a weakened immune system, you increase your chances of developing lymphoma of the eye.
  • Retinoblastoma is often caused by inheritance of defective genes from their parents.

Eye cancer can develop in people who already suffer from another form of cancer or AIDS. Some children are born with mutant genes that increase the risk for retinoblastoma.

Symptoms that indicate eye cancer

Symptoms of eye cancer vary among each person, depending on the type of cancer and location of cancer.

Usually there are no symptoms in the early stages of cancer, but with the increase of the tumor, symptoms increase and make itself felt.

Some symptoms:

  • Complete or partial loss of vision;
  • Flashes of light or spots in your vision;
  • Dark spot on the iris that can increase;
  • Pain in the eye (although this is rare);
  • Protrusion of the eyes;
  • Displacement of the eyeball;
  • Strabismus.

In children strabismus may be a symptom of retinoblastoma. If you notice this, you should immediately consult a specialist.

Diagnosis of eye cancer

With suspected cancer of the eye you will be sent the diagnosis to the ophthalmologist or oncologist to conduct a series of diagnostic tests. Your ophthalmologist may prescribe various medical tests that can help diagnose the disease.

There are several different types of diagnostics that can offer you depending on the type of cancer:

  • Ophthalmoscopy;
  • Fluorescein angiography;
  • Ultrasound;
  • Computerized tomography (CT);
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI);
  • Biopsy.

Diagnosis will help your doctor to identify the type of cancer eye in order to prescribe an appropriate treatment.

Treatments

hirurgiyaThe most common treatment for eye cancer is surgery. This operation is performed to remove the affected tissues surgically. If there is extraocular tumors around the eyes or on the eyelids, surgery can be used to remove the tumor. Sometimes, surgery is supplemented by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. There are other types of cancer, especially a type like melanoma, which can be treated withof laser surgery. If the cancer affects a large part of the eye, the eyeball must be removed completely. In this case, implantation of the artificial eyeball in the eye socket.

  • Radiation therapy. This method is used to kill cancer cells. It is often applied by physicians for treatment of eye melanoma. The beam of radiation is directed at cancer cells and destroys the tumor.
  • Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy uses drugs to destroy cancer cells. There are a lot of drugs and they, as a rule, are introduced into a vein, but sometimes you can give them in pill form. These drugs can cause various side effects such as fatigue and apathy. They can also cause nausea or hair loss. Chemotherapy can be an effective method to treat lymphoma of the eye and retinoblastoma.

To prevent or help your body in the treatment of eye cancer, you can change your diet and lifestyle to improve General health and thereby reduce the risk of developing the disease.

A well-balanced diet with lots of antioxidants and regular exercise goes a long way in stimulating the immune system and maintain you in shape.