Eye Cancer: Symptoms Causes & Treatments

By Author: Make healtheasy
Total Articles: 47
Comment this article

Eye cancer generally means the different types of cancers that develop in the eyes. Overgrowth of abnormal cells in the eyes is the main cause of the disease. Indeed very rare kind of cancer, it starts somewhere in or on surface of the eye. This disease affects adults as well as children. Symptoms of eye cancer in adults and children differ to a great degree. Eye cancer symptoms depend on the type of cancer a person is affected with. Some of the symptoms of eye cancer in adults are: tiny floating spots in vision called floaters, pain in the eyes, red eyes, dark spots on iris, blurring of vision in one eye. In adults, the early stages of the disease display no symptoms whatsoever to the affected. These early signs can only be discovered by an early eye cancer diagnosis done by an eye specialist (optometrist). Other symptoms include changes in the appearance of the eyes. Red or watery eyes are often reported. Others report bulging eyes. Changes in the color and appearance of dark spots in the iris are also not rare among those affected by eye cancer.

Basically ...
... there are two types of eye cancer: Primary intraocular and secondary intraocular. Melanoma eye cancer develops inside the eyeball and is a primary intraocular type, common in adults. Secondary intraocular cancer spreads to the eyes from other parts of the body and is not essentially an eye cancer in its true form. These cancers spread into that part of the eyeball called uvea. If left undetected it can turn very serious and knowing the symptoms is important in seeking proper treatments for eye cancer.

Causes of eye cancer are not yet known clearly identified, but exposure to ultraviolet rays, retinoblastoma and a weak immune system are reasons which can result in eye cancers. One should wear protection on the eyes to protect them from sunlight which contain ultra violet rays and can cause serious complications on long term exposure. Research has shown that ultra violet rays can cause numerous types of cancers of the eye and other disease. People having shades of colors other than black are more prone to develop melanoma. Some people have a number of moles throughout their body and are susceptible to eye cancers. Genetics also plays a major role in development of eye cancer. Besides, an increased exposure to ultraviolet rays and sunlight increases the chance of developing the disease. The effects of eye cancer can debilitate an affected person both physically and mentally. A blurred vision, or more worse, blindness in one eye can be a major obstacle in performing routine tasks. Additionally, the patient experiences anguish and frustration because of these hindrances in his day to day activities. Surgical treatments that involve techniques for destroying melanoma often cause loss of some vision, even though utmost care is taken to preserve vision. Some melanomas can be treated with radiation alone while other treatments may involve both radiation and infrared laser therapy to accomplish the job.