Download Cancers of the Eye

Cancers of the Eye
There are three major categories
of eye cancer. These are melanoma,
Lymphoma, and Retinoblastoma. The
close proximity of the eye to the brain
makes these cancers life threatening.
Melanoma
Melanoma develops most
commonly in the uvea of the eye which
is made up of the iris, choroid, and
ciliary body. Some of the symptoms of
melanoma can cause astigmatism and
far-sighted vision. These symptoms
should prompt individuals to visit their
eye doctor. More alarming symptoms of
this cancer are noticeable light flashes
and floaters.
Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is the most
common eye cancer in children. This
cancer is aggressive and life threatening.
It is typically discovered in babies 6
months to 24 months old with no known
cause. It is generally noticed first by
showing a white pupil when exposed to
light and further diagnosed by an
ophthalmologist’s exam. 250 to 300
children are affected each year in the
U.S. Treatment typically includes
enucleation (removal of the eye) and
chemotherapy. Doctors will try to keep
one eye intact as long as possible to
allow the child as much visual
stimulation as possible. So much
information is processed visually 6 extra
months of sight can make a huge impact
for a child.
Photograph of retina showing area of melanoma.
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is the cancer
afflicting the lymphatic system in the
body and can be categorized in two
types, Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s.
This cancer is more commonly seen as a
secondary cancer meaning that cancer in
other areas of the body may have spread.
Lung and breast cancer are the top two
cancers that cause lymphoma. The
bodies lymphatic system is throughout
the body where cancer can potentially
travel anywhere in the body.
Photograph of ocular lymphoma
Photograph of a child with retinoblastoma. Note
the shiny silver color in the pupil.
Works Cited:
Abramson, D. Parents Guide to Understanding
Retinoblastoma Retrieved on July 17,
2010 from http://retinoblastoma.com
Finger, P. (n.d.). Eye Cancer. Doctor-approved
cancer information from ASCO |
Cancer.Net. Retrieved July 17, 2010,
from http://www.cancer.net
Learn About Cancer. (2010, Jul9). American
Cancer Society: Information and
Resources for Cancer: Breast, Colon,
Prostate, Lung and Other Forms.
Retrieved July 17, 2010, from
http://cancer.org
Retinoblastoma. (n.d.). Retinoblastoma
information as well as other eye
cancers and eye tumors. Retrieved July
17, 2010, from
http://www.retinoblastomainfo.com
Vang, C. (2009, February 13). UW Eye Research
Institute. UW Eye Research InstitutePoint of View, Fall 2007. Retrieved July
17, 2010, from http://vision.wisc.edu