Active surveillance (watchful waiting) for eye cancer

Last medical review:

Active surveillance means that your healthcare team uses tests and exams to watch the cancer closely. Rather than giving treatment that may cause side effects, they wait to see if the eye cancer is growing or spreading. Other treatment is given when you develop symptoms or the cancer changes.

This approach helps avoid side effects that can happen with treatments such as surgery or radiation therapy. There is no evidence so far that people won’t live as long when they are treated with active surveillance compared to other treatments. And there is no evidence that active surveillance has other negative effects if or when you start other treatment.

You may be offered active surveillance if:

  • you don’t have any symptoms of eye cancer
  • the tumour is small and hasn’t spread outside of the eye
  • the cancer is growing very slowly and isn’t affecting your health
  • you are old or very ill and your body may not be strong enough to cope with the treatment
  • you only have vision in the eye with the tumour

Expert review and references

  • Hatem Krema, MD, MSc, FRCS, FICO (Hon.)

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