Eye cancer treatment
Being diagnosed with a condition that could affect your vision can be distressing. At AOA体育平台 Eye Centre, you鈥檒l find world-class specialists working alongside dedicated, multidisciplinary teams to provide the best eye care possible. From diagnosis to recovery, we鈥檙e here to support you every step of the way.
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What is it for?
Treating different stages of eye cancer
Overview: eye cancer treatments
Eye cancer is a general umbrella term which covers all the different cancer types of the eye. This means that the type of eye cancer you have depends on the part of the eye it affects.
Eye cancer (also known as ocular cancer) is very rare 鈥� around 850 cases are diagnosed in the UK each year. 25% of these cases are in individuals aged 75 and over. The exception to this is a type of eye cancer called retinoblastoma, which usually affects children under the age of 5. Some of the cancers that affect the eye include:
- Melanoma 鈥� The most common type of eye cancer. It can develop in the eyeball, conjunctiva (covering the front of the eyeball), and eyelid.
- Squamous cell 鈥� A type of skin cancer found on areas of skin that have been exposed to the sun, including the eyelids.
- Lymphoma 鈥� A type of cancer that develops inside the eye or in the tissue surrounding the eye.
- Rhabdomyosarcoma 鈥� A type of sarcoma that develops in the soft tissue around the eye.
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Eye cancer treatments
Of course, the treatment you undergo will depend on the type of eye cancer you have. Generally, however, the main treatments for eye cancer include:
Radiotherapy is a common therapy for different types of eye cancer. It uses high-energy waves, which are like X-rays, to kill cancer cells. Treatment takes place over a number of short, daily treatments called treatment sessions or fractions.
Recovery timeline and aftercare
Radiotherapy is normally provided as an outpatient procedure. This means you should be able to go home on the same day. However, it is sometimes given as an inpatient treatment if you are feeling unwell.
Chemotherapy uses anti-cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream. Chemotherapy for eye cancer can be administered through:
- a cannula
- an injection into the fluid around your spinal cord
- tablets
Recovery timeline and aftercare
You should be able to have chemotherapy treatment in a day clinic, either in one day or over a few days.
Chemotherapy can produce side effects, such as feeling sick and feeling very tired. So, it鈥檚 a good idea to make sure someone drives you home and that you have someone at home to help you recover.
Surgery may be used to remove skin cancers from delicate areas around your eye.
Surgery to treat eye melanoma involves either removing the part of the eye with the melanoma and a small portion of healthy tissue which surrounds it or removing the whole eye. Your surgeon will aim to preserve your sight and only suggest the latter option if it is absolutely necessary.
Which procedure you have depends on the size and placement of your eye melanoma.
Recovery timeline and aftercare
For eye surgery, you may be put under a local anaesthetic, which would mean you鈥檙e still awake during the procedure, or a general anaesthetic may be used, which will mean you鈥檙e asleep during the procedure.
As this type of surgery is a major procedure, you may need to take time off work and have someone stay with you while you recover. After the surgery, depending on the location of your eye cancer, you may find it helpful to wear a pair of dark glasses until the swelling has gone down.
