Eye Cancer Overview
Eye Cancer at a Glance
The most common form of eye cancer is intraocular melanoma which occurs inside the eyeball in adults, however, it's quite rare. Melanomas which begin in your skin are far more common as opposed to melanomas which begin in the eye. Melanomas form from pigment-creating cells known as melanocytes.
Eye Cancer Causes
It is still not really clear what causes eye cancer. Physicians do know that eye melanoma happens when errors form in the DNA of healthy eye cells. These DNA errors order the cells to first grow and multiply without control; the end result is that the mutated cells continue living when they would usually die.
Eye Cancer Signs & Symptoms
Keep in mind that all cases of eye cancer do not necessarily cause noticeable signs and symptoms and might only be identified during a routine eye test. Symptoms of eye cancer may include:
- Pain in or around the eye
- A lump on the eyelid or in the eye that is enlarging
- Bulging of one eye
- Partial or complete loss of vision
- A dark patch in the eye that's enlarging
- Blurred vision
- Wiggly lines, flashes of light, or shadows in your vision
Know that these symptoms could also be brought about by less significant eye conditions, other than eye cancer. That's why it's important to confirm the symptoms via a doctor at once.
