Eye cancer

What is eye cancer?

Eye cancer starts in the cells in or near your eyeball. The most common type of eye cancer in adults is uveal melanoma. It is a type of intraocular melanoma.

Risks for eye cancer

Risks for eye cancer include primary acquired melanosis (PAM), ocular melanocytosis and light-coloured skin, eyes and hair.

Symptoms of eye cancer

Common signs and symptoms of eye cancer include a new or growing dark spot on the eye and vision problems.

Diagnosis of eye cancer

Eye cancer can be diagnosed or ruled out by an eye exam and tests including optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultrasound and angiography.

Grading eye cancer

Grading describes how cancer cells look compared to healthy cells. Eye cancer can be described as low grade or high grade.

Stages of eye cancer

The stage of eye cancer describes how much cancer is in the body. Different types of eye cancer are staged differently. Some types of eye cancer aren’t given a stage.

If eye cancer spreads

Eye cancer can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the eye, lymph nodes or the skin.

Prognosis and survival for eye cancer

Prognosis estimates the outcome for eye cancer. It depends on many factors including if the cancer has spread, where the tumour started in the eye and the type of cells in the tumour.

Treatments for eye cancer

Eye cancer may be treated with radiation therapy or surgery. Chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy and active surveillance are sometimes used as well.

Supportive care for eye cancer

Supportive care for eye cancer helps people cope with physical, practical, emotional and spiritual challenges.

Eye cancer statistics

Cancer statistics tell us how many people in Canada are diagnosed with and die from eye cancer in a certain time frame.

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Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

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