NHS warns common eye symptom could actually be cancer
If you experience eye irritation, the NHS advises scheduling an appointment with your GP, especially if it coincides with other symptoms. This is crucial as approximately 850 cases of eye cancer are diagnosed annually in the UK, and many individuals often overlook some of the symptoms.
There are a number of different types of cancer that affect the eyes, including:
Whilst cancer can sometimes develop in the tissues surrounding your eyeball, it can at times spread to the eye from other parts of the body, such as the lungs or breasts.
The NHS warns that having these symptoms does not always mean cancer, In addition, this type does not always cause obvious symptoms and may only be picked up during a routine eye test.
Whilst symptoms can be caused by something benign, the experts say it’s better to be on safe and get it checked by a doctor. Symptoms of eye cancer can include:
Melanoma is a form of cancer that arises from pigment-producing cells called melanocytes. Although the majority of melanomas appear on the skin, they can also manifest in other locations, such as the eye. Eye melanoma usually affects the eyeball and is known as uveal or choroidal melanoma, based on the affected part of the eye. It can also develop in the conjunctiva, the delicate membrane that covers the front of the eye, or within the eyelid.
Eye melanoma develops when the pigment-producing cells in the eyes divide too quickly, leading to a mass of tissue called a tumor. It’s not clear exactly why this occurs, but the following factors may increase the risk of it happening:
The risk of developing eye melanoma also increases with age, with most cases being diagnosed in people in their 50s. Eye cancer is rare, so survival rates are based on all eye cancers, reports the NHS. For people with eye cancer in England: