Ways to Prevent Eye Cancer

Detecting eye cancer through a regular eye exam is how an ophthalmologist, a medical doctor specializing in eye diseases, diagnoses the ailment. The American Cancer Society (ACS) says the doctor will look for signs of cancer in the eye by first looking for swollen vessels outside of the eye.

Prevention Measures

• You can help to prevent the possibility of eye cancer by limiting your exposure to intense sunlight, covering up with protective hats and clothing, using sunscreen, and wearing UV-protected sunglasses when you are outside in strong sunlight.

  Protect the eyes and surrounding areas by wearing wrap-around sunglasses with 99 percent to 100 percent UVA and UVB absorption. This could lower the risk of developing cancers of the skin around the eyes. Even if you show no symptoms, a regular eye exam is vital to your health. If eye cancer is detected, possible treatment includes surgery, radiation therapy, heat, freezing or laser therapy.

  Signs and symptoms of this rare disease include diminished vision, floaters or flashes of light, visual field loss, a dark spot growing on the iris, the eyeball varying its position in its socket, bulging of the eye, and a change in how the eye moves within its socket.

Eye Knowledge

• The eyeball consists of three main layers--the sclera, the uvea and the retina. The sclera is the white part of the eye. The uvea is the middle part and consists of the iris or colored part of the eye; the choroid, which nourishes the retina; and the ciliary body, which contains the muscles that help the eye to focus. The retina allows you to see patterns of light.

  The ACS says cancers affecting the eyeball are called intraocular (within the eye) cancers and mostly affect adults. Retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that most often affects children. The orbit is the second part of the eye and consists of tissues surrounding the eye. The orbit allows you to move your eyes in different directions. Cancers affecting the orbit are called orbital cancers.

  Currently, there's only one way to lower your chances of developing eye cancer--try to avoid problems with your immune system. A common source for immune system troubles is AIDS, acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. For people who have organ or tissue transplants, drugs can also weaken the immune system and increase the risk of developing cancer, including eye cancer.

  If you notice a dark spot on your iris (colored part of the eye) and it's getting bigger, let an ophthalmologist look at it. The eye cancer risk is more prevalent among Caucasians than in African-Americans or Asian Americans. Blue-eyed people tend to develop eye cancer more so than brown-eyed people. The cause of most eye cancers is unknown, which decreases the possibility of methods of prevention.