Why Gaining Knowledge about Eye Cancer Symptoms is Important

Eyes are the most precious boon from God to us. It is the important part of human body. The eye is made of multiple smaller structures each of which can be affected.

A tumor or cancer is an uncontrollable growth of a particular cell or collection of cells. This cancer may improve (non-cancerous) or malignant (cancerous). You need to recognize the Eye Cancer Symptoms at right time.

Because, Cancer cells grow and spread very fast and may be serious or deadly if not treated on time. Cancer expansion in eyes affects the vision partially or entire loss of eyesight in the long-run and can also be the reason of other types of cancers in nearby areas.

Below are Eye Cancer Symptoms or signs experienced by people suffering from eye cancer are:

  1. Blurring of vision:  It may be due to eye cancer. But blurring of vision may also occur by other eye problems. Hence, it is recommended to consult an eye specialist.
  2. See spots in front of eyes: Seeing flashes of light, spots, floating points (floaters), squiggly lines or wiggly lines. These are the common symptoms also of other eye disorders like cataract etc. They require careful evaluation to stop eye cancers especially among those at risk.
  3. Swelling of eyes: Swelling or bulging may occur in one or both eyes. It maximum appears in children with retinoblastoma.
  4.  Loss of vision: Major Eye Cancer Symptoms that is not ignorable. You can completely or partially lose your eye sight. At times, it can be a “Peripheral Nervous System Disorder” in which straight ahead vision is clear, but the side visions are affected.
  5.  Change in visibility of the affected eye: A spot over the eye or a mole over the iris may seem to have grown in size.
  6. Pain in or around the eye: Pain is rare in most eye cancers. But it may also occur due to the pressure applied by the tumor on the eye. It affects the adnexal structures, nerves and extends to the other parts.
  7. Excessive tearing or bloody tears
  • Double vision
  • Loss of eyelashes
  • Sensitivity of light
  •  Eye irritation, red eye or chronic soreness of the conjunctiva
  • Ulceration of the eyelid
  • Change in pupil shape or size
  •  Orbital or ocular pain
  • Sty that does not heal
  • Change of eyeball position or the way eye moves

People with Eye Cancer Symptoms may experience these problems. Sometimes eye cancers do not demonstrate any of these symptoms. Or, these symptoms may be originated by another medical condition and not eye cancer.

But if you are concerned about at least one of these symptoms or signs in this listing, please consult your doctor. Eye cancer like any other eye problem is treated by Ophthalmologists and Oncologists who are cancer specialists.

Who Gets Eye Cancer?

Eye Cancer Symptoms  tend to affect both men and women equally, while intraocular melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma are slightly more general in men.

The possibility of developing eye melanoma rises with age, with most cases being identified in people in their 50’s. It's also more common in white people.

Do you know the types of eye cancer?

Two major types of eye cancer are Intraocular and Adnexal cancers -

1. Intraocular Cancer

a) Primary intraocular cancer starts within the eyeball. This consists of Melanoma, Primary Intraocular Lymphoma or Retinoblastoma.        

  1. Melanoma is the very common type of primary intraocular cancer in youth. It develops from colored or pigmented cells called Melanocytes that multiply quickly and uncontrollably. Most melanomas grow in the skin, but it's also possible for them to occur in other parts of the body, including the eye. Melanoma can affect the Uvea, Choroid or the Conjunctiva of the eye. Uveal melanoma is the general type of intraocular melanoma. It affects the choroid, ciliary body and the iris also. It is generally a slow growing tumor and has a good healing result. Uveal melanoma hardly spreads to other parts.Conjunctival melanoma is a cancer of the conjunctiva. It spreads quickly to other parts by lymphatic channels. It’s a rare kind of melanoma of the eye.Choroid melanoma is common
  2. Intraocular lymphoma is commonly a rare form and is believed to be a form of central nervous system lymphoma or Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Lymphomas may be in common Hodgkin’s or Non-Hodgkin’s form. While Hodgkin’s lymphoma influences the blood, Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma may concern other sides such as the brain, eyes or lungs. These generally start in the immune system cells named Lymphocytes. They affect the older people or those individuals who have low resistance power or other immune system problems like those affected by obtaining immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
  3. Retinoblastoma may occur at early age or a childhood eye cancer. It directly affects the retina. A hemangioma is cancer of the blood vessels of the eye and is a rare medical condition. 

b) Secondary intraocular – These cancers may start at a diverse location in the body and gradually reach the eye. Common remote cancer sites like breast and lung cancers lead to secondary eye cancers.

2. Adnexal or Orbital Cancers-

These cancers affect the adnexa or the orbit of the eye. They mostly affect the muscles, skin and nerves around the eyeball.

Eyelid carcinoma may affect the eyelid skin and muscles and may be surgically removed when discovered. These are essentially squamous or basal cell, form of skin cancers.

Lacrimal gland cancer affects the tear glands. These are typically similar in pathology with other skin cancer deceases. Their enlargement rate, malignancy and capability to spread are also similar to skin cancer. If spotted early these cancers can cured surgically and giving a good prognosis or outcome.

Although eye cancers or tumors are rarely fatal if noticed early, they can result in loss of vision.

Secondary eye tumors from other primary cancers may also result in vision loss. The primary goal of therapy is survival and efforts to preserve the eyesight.

In Eye Cancer Symptoms, treatment is an essential gateway to appropriate and complete removal of tumors or cancer cells that grow in the eye region. Treatment is necessary to avoid extra growth of cancer cells in the eye region and also to stop other forms of cancerous or non-cancerous disorders in the eye or other organs.