Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTypesSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPrognosisCoping
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Types
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis
Coping
Ocular melanoma is eye cancer that arises in cells known as melanocytes, which give color to body parts such as your lips, skin, and eyes. It may not have symptoms unless it spreads or is in an area of the eye where it affects vision.
About 2,500 adults in the United States are diagnosed with ocular melanoma each year.Ocular melanoma can spread silently and may move to other parts of the body, where, much like melanoma of the skin, it may be life-threatening.
This article highlights the types of ocular melanoma, its symptoms, its possible causes, and the diagnosis and treatment process.
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Types of Ocular Melanoma
Not all ocular melanoma is the same. It can arise in different areas of the eye, including the lid, the globe itself, or even the clear covering of the eye known as theconjunctiva. Cases of melanoma of the lid or of the conjunctiva tend to be rare.
Among adults,uveal melanoma, which starts in the middle layer of the wall of the eye, is the most common type of ocular melanoma. If melanoma starts in the part of the uvea known as the choroid, which contains some of the blood supply for the eye, it is calledchoroidal melanoma.
Ocular Melanoma Symptoms
Not everybody getssymptoms with ocular melanoma. Symptoms develop only if the cancer migrates into certain parts of the eye or if it grows. It helps to be aware of certain signs, including:
Keep in mind that just having some of these symptoms does not necessarily mean you have ocular melanoma. Still, it’s important to rule it out promptly.
Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut reason why ocular melanoma develops. Still, ocular melanoma has been associated with certain factors that may put you at greater risk for developing it.
Ocular melanoma is likely related to errors in the DNA that develop in the pigmented cells of the eye. Factors that have been shown to play a role include:
White people are more often diagnosed with ocular melanoma than Black people.
If ocular melanoma is suspected, you will require a full eye exam. To help diagnose this condition an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) will perform the following exams:
Determining what treatment is needed will depend on a variety of factors, including how advanced the tumor is when you are diagnosed. Some treatment options for ocular melanoma include the following:
How you ultimately do with ocular melanoma will depend not only on exactly where in the eye the tumor is located, but also on what the size of it may be at the time and whether the cancer has spread elsewhere.
For eye melanoma in general, the five-year survival rate is at 80%. If detected early, it is as high as 85%. Even in cases in which melanoma has spread to surrounding lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate remains at 73%.
For the 2% to 3% of cases that are diagnosed when there has already been spread to more distant parts of the body, the survival rate is 13%.
The area where the tumor starts plays a role in outcome. Tumors in the iris do not tend to spread and people who have a tumor in this location have a five-year survival rate of 95%. For choroidal melanoma (located in the middle of the wall of the eye) the five-year survival rate ranges from 84% for a small tumor to 47% for a very large one.
Learning that you have eye cancer can be a shock and can come with a wide range of emotions as you worry about your sight and your overall health. You may find yourself feeling everything from numb to being fearful, angry, or even guilty.
To better understand how a treatment affects people with ocular melanoma, as well as how to come to terms with the diagnosis, consider reaching out to others for support. This may involve speaking with a counselor one-on-one or perhaps talking with others who have had this diagnosis and who can help you to address what you may be feeling.
Summary
Ocular melanoma comes from melanocytes that give color to the lining of your eyes. It can occur in various parts of the eye such as the lid, the choroid, the iris, or the ciliary body. Treatment often involves radiation aimed at destroying the tumor or surgery to remove it.
Prognosis with ocular melanoma depends on where it is located and when it is detected. The sooner this is treated the better.
A Word From Verywell
While dealing with ocular melanoma can be challenging, your care team will help you to decide the best approach for preserving your health and your vision. This is a condition that already has many treatment options and more is being learned about it every day, which can only help improve outcomes.
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ocular Melanoma Foundation.About ocular melanoma.Cancer Research UK.Types of eye cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of eye cancer.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is ocular melanoma?NHS.Eye cancer.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Ocular melanoma.American Society for Clinical Oncology.Eye cancer statistics.Cancer Research UK.Coping with eye cancer.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Ocular Melanoma Foundation.About ocular melanoma.Cancer Research UK.Types of eye cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of eye cancer.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is ocular melanoma?NHS.Eye cancer.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Ocular melanoma.American Society for Clinical Oncology.Eye cancer statistics.Cancer Research UK.Coping with eye cancer.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Ocular Melanoma Foundation.About ocular melanoma.Cancer Research UK.Types of eye cancer.American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of eye cancer.American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is ocular melanoma?NHS.Eye cancer.National Organization for Rare Disorders.Ocular melanoma.American Society for Clinical Oncology.Eye cancer statistics.Cancer Research UK.Coping with eye cancer.
Ocular Melanoma Foundation.About ocular melanoma.
Cancer Research UK.Types of eye cancer.
American Cancer Society.Signs and symptoms of eye cancer.
American Academy of Ophthalmology.What is ocular melanoma?
NHS.Eye cancer.
National Organization for Rare Disorders.Ocular melanoma.
American Society for Clinical Oncology.Eye cancer statistics.
Cancer Research UK.Coping with eye cancer.
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