Dr. Devon Ghodasra, Southeastern Retina Associates; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical SocietyQ: Can I get cancer in my eye?
A: While less common compared to other cancers of the body such as breast, lung and prostate, cancer of the eye can have equally devastating outcomes. The skin of the eyelids and the eye itself can develop various types of cancer. The most common cancer inside the eye is uveal melanoma, or cancer of the pigmented parts of the eye. These cancers can arise in various parts, such as the choroid (the layer beneath the retina) or the iris.
Risk factors for ocular melanoma include having light-colored eyes (blue or gray), fair skin, chronic sunlight exposure and the presence of nevi. Nevi are benign raised freckles that are commonly present in normal eyes. Similar to nevi on your skin, some ocular nevi can transform into malignant melanoma over time. The treatment of ocular melanoma may include chemotherapy or radiation.
Diagnosing ocular melanoma requires a complete dilated eye examination. Nevi should be followed with additional testing such as ocular ultrasound and optical coherence tomography (OCT), and suspicious cases should be examined by a specialist familiar with ocular melanoma.
– Dr. Devon Ghodasra, Southeastern Retina Associates; member, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society