If eye cancer spreads

Cancer cells can spread from the eye to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If eye cancer spreads, it can spread to the following:

  • optic nerve
  • structures in the eye socket (orbit), including the bones of the orbit
  • eyelid
  • lacrimal gland (a gland that makes tears)
  • paranasal sinuses (hollow chambers around the nose)
  • parotid gland (a gland that makes saliva)
  • skin
  • lymph nodes
  • liver
  • bone
  • brain
  • lung

Expert review and references