OCULAR ONCOLOGY

WHAT IS OCULAR ONCOLOGY?

Type of cancers that affects the eye are called occular cancers. Occular Oncology is the area of treatment which deals with the treatment of eye cancer. It can occur in inside of the eye ( intraocular ) and outside of the eye ( extra ocular).

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HOW MANY TYPE OF OCULAR CANCERS ARE THERE?

• Cancers of the eye ball: In this type cancers will affect parts of eye ball like melanoma, lymph nodes, restinoblastoma (in children)

• Squamous cell cancer of the conjunctiva: Conjunctiva is the thin wet membrane that covers the surface of the eye. Generally slow growing if left untreated it can cause loss of eye sight.

• Cancers around the eyeball: In this cancer will develop in the orbit and accessory muscles of the eye ball

• Secondary eye cancers: Cancer that transmits from other organs of the body to eye are called secodary eye cancers.

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WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF OCULAR CANCER?

• People over the age of 50 are more prone to this

• Hereditary factors

• Over exposure to sunlight and radiation

• Those infected with HIV

• Drugs that weakens immune system

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OCULAR CANCER TREATMENT OPTIONS

• Medication: Specially prepared anti carcinogenic eye drops might help in early stage of the disease.

• Surgery: Surgeries like Iridectomy, Iridocyclectomy, Sclerouvectomy/endoresection, Enucleation are done to cure this type of cancer.

• Eye removal: This method is opted when a person is contracted with intraocular cancer which is contagious in nature and threats to affects the other organs of the body too.

• Radiation therapy: Tumor cells in the eye are destroyed using high intensity X rays.

• Laser therapy: Also called thermotherapy or transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) this uses heat in the form of laser to reduce the size of tumor. Some times it will be combined with radiation therapy.