Eye Cancer

by Laura Waldsmith
 eye cancer:
I chose this cancer to research because it can affect anyone.

Eye cancer can be classified into 2 groups:

intraocular- affecting the inside of the eye extraocular- affecting the outside of the eye.

Intraocular eye cancers are:

melanoma of the eye
lymphoma of the eye
childhood eye cancers: retinoblastoma and medulloepithelioma.
Melanoma of the eye
Melanocytes are the cells that become cancerous
in the eye. These cells can be found in many
places in the body. Most cases of melanoma of
the eye start somewhere else and move to the
eye over time. It is rare that melanoma starts in
the eye but when it does it starts at:
eyeball (globe, intraocular)
conjunctiva (extraocular)
eyelid (extraocular)
 RATES
incidence- There are around 5 - 7.5 cases diagnosed per million people per year. For
people over 50 years old, the incidence rate increases to around 21 per million per year.

mortality- There are only 270 reported deaths from the diagnosed number per year.
 people affected by melanoma

Melanoma of the eye is the most common eye cancer in adults, although it is
rare.
People with light skin and blue eyes are more likely to get melanoma,
because they are more sensitive to ultraviolet radiation.
Anyone can be have this disease but more white people have been diagnosed
than any other race or ethnicity.
Less women have this cancer than men.
 inheritance
Researchers have found a hereditary cancer
syndrome called BAP1 that predisposes people to
Melanoma of the eye and many other cancers such
as brain cancer.

BAP1 is an inherited mutation in a gene that

causes what we know as Uveal melanoma or
melanoma of the eye.
 Genes and Chromosomes
monosomy 3- a form of chromosomal abnormality where only 1 chromosome is
present compared to the usual 2 in a pair.

patients are affected when they are missing one of their chromosome pairs in
chromosome 3. (monosomy 3)

A deficiency on chromosome 3 has been tracked to BAP1.

 Symptoms
problems with vision
flashes of light
visual field loss
dark spot on iris
change in size of the pupil
change of the position of eyeball
bulging of the eye
change of movement within socket
Diagnosis
An ophthalmologist will probably be able to
diagnose melanoma by dilating the pupil and
looking through it with a special lense. It is
rare that a x-ray or any other type of test is
needed. If the doctor is not sure if the tumor is
cancerous or not then they will schedule the
patient for regular eye exams.
 treatment options
radiation
Brachytherapy (plaque therapy)
A layer of plaque is placed on the outside of the eye over
the tumor and left there for around a week.
side effects- none specifically
surgery
Enucleation
enucleation is the removal of the eye while under anesthesia.
side effects- lose all vision in one (or both) eyes.