What is eye cancer?

Eye cancer is one of the more rare types of cancer. However, if it does occur, it is very variable: it can appear in all areas of the eye - for example on the lid - and even in babies and toddlers. The most common tumor in children is called retinoblastoma. Adults are more likely to develop cho

roidal melanoma . Tumors in the eye require early treatment. However, they often go undetected for a long time because they hardly cause any discomfort. Regular preventive examinations at the ophthalmologist are all the more important. Some types of eye cancers are hereditary, others result from external influences (e.g. solar radiation). Treatment and prognosis depend on the location, size, and type of the eye cancer. The latter can be:

Retinoblastoma

This eye tumor occurs almost exclusively in children under the age of five. It occurs when the immature retinal cells divide unchecked. A retinoblastoma grows very quickly. It starts in the vitreous humor of the eye, then the cancer spreads through the optic nerve to the brain. Either only one eye (unilateral retinoblastoma) can be affected or both eyes (bilateral retinoblastoma) are affected. According to the Children's Cancer Foundation, however, the latter is only the case with a third of small patients. In order to cure eye cancer, it must be recognized and treated early. With around 60 sick children per year, retinoblastoma is the most common form of eye cancer in children in Germany. However, it only accounts for two percent of all childhood cancers, so it is one of the rare forms of cancer.

Choroidal melanoma

The choroidal melanoma is the "adult counterpart" to retinoblastoma: the most common form of eye cancer, also known as uveal melanoma. It occurs when the pigment cells of the choroid proliferate unchecked. Read more about the causes, symptoms and treatment of choroidal melanoma in the article choroidal melanoma.

Eyelid tumor

Lid tumors can be benign and malignant. The first category includes warts or fatty deposits, among the malignant types the aggressively growing basal cell carcinoma , the black skin cancer , which has a strong tendency to spread, and the spinal cell carcinoma. The main cause of eyelid tumors is UV radiation, so people with (very) light skin are more at risk. Sun cream with a high sun protections factor can reduce the risk of illness.

Symptoms: how to recognize eye cancer

It is difficult to detect eye cancer early on. For example, very small retinoblastomas do not cause any discomfort for a long time, no symptoms occur. Only when the tumor has grown larger or has grown into other parts of the eye does it become noticeable by impairing vision or even leading to blindness.

The most common first symptom of retinoblastoma is when the pupil glows white when certain light falls, for example when looking into the flash of a photo camera (leukocoria). This phenomenon is also called "cat's eye", it indicates that a tumor is growing behind the lens.

Other symptoms of eye cancer (retinoblastoma) can include:

Squint : According to the information portal kinderkrebshilfe.de, this symptom occurs in around 25 to 30 percent of affected children. It may be an indication that the tumor has grown into the center of the retina. The squint is triggered by the different visual acuity of the eyes.

Eye inflammation : Sometimes the affected eye is painful, reddened, or swollen. This happens when the pressure in the eye increases. If the retinoblastoma is externally irradiated, the eyes or the skin around them can begin to itch.

Changed color of the iris: The so-called iris can change color in one or more places.

Reduced vision:It can happen that with a retinoblastoma the child can no longer see properly and / or focus poorly and no longer reacts or reacts differently to optical stimuli.

All of these symptoms may or may not be a sign of retinoblastoma . Often they have comparatively harmless causes. Still, you should see a doctor with your offspring if you experience one or more of the warning signs listed above. Because the sooner the eye cancer is detected, the higher the chances of successful treatment.

How to spot eye cancer: self-tests to use at home

The cat's eye, i.e. the lighting up of a white spot in the pupil under certain light conditions, is the most important symptom of childhood eye cancer. According to Children's Eye Cancer Help, parents can check whether it is in their own offspring with a simple test: Take a photo with a flash of your child from the front or shine a flashlight into a slightly darkened room from the front and the side the eyes.

Tip:With the app "White Eye Detector", which was developed by two scientists from Baylor University and Harvard Medical School, and which is very easy to use, you can search the photos on your smartphone for eyes with a white pupil. The Children's Cancer Foundation warns, however, that this app should only be understood as a helpful tool for early diagnosis and should not be equated with a medical diagnosis.

 

Diagnosis of eye cancer: what the doctor does

Retinoblastoma is almost always diagnosed in the first two years of life. If left untreated, this disease leads to death. However, if it is detected early, more than 95 percent of small patients will survive, according to Kinder-Eye Cancer Help.

In addition to taking the medical history, the ophthalmologist will always perform a physical examination to find evidence of retinoblastoma. An ophthalmoscope examination (ophthalmoscopy) under anesthesia with a maximally dilated pupil is always carried out according to the Essen University Hospital. Likewise an ultrasound examination . To detect abnormal changes in the eye socket and skull, the doctor can order a magnetic resonance tomography ( MRI ) or computed tomography . The examinations in detail:

Ophthalmoscopic examination

It is the most important test to detect retinoblastoma. In this fluoroscopic test, the doctor looks the patient in the eye with an illuminated eye mirror (ophthalmoscope). Basically, this test is mandatory for the regular examinations U4 to U7.

Ultrasound and MRI

If a retinoblastoma is actually present, the spread of the eye tumor must be clarified in further examinations. According to the Children's Cancer Foundation, two of the most important methods are ultrasound examinations (sonography) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sonography makes use of the fact that sound waves propagate at different speeds in different tissues - this is how the tumor can be distinguished from healthy tissue. MRI is based on very strong magnetic fields, which can be used to make sectional images of the body.

Further investigations

If the eye cancer is already well advanced and / or chemotherapy is imminent, further examinations may be necessary. These include examinations of the cerebrospinal fluid, bone marrow, and / or bones, and chest x-rays . However, these are only necessary in rare cases. Since retinoblastoma can be hereditary, the parents and siblings of the sick child are also examined by an ophthalmologist. A genetic test provides information about the inheritance risk. Once all the examinations have been completed, the doctor and the family will decide which treatment measures are required.

Causes: This is how childhood eye cancer develops

Retinoblastoma is cause by a mutation in the retinoblastoma gene. This mutation can be inherited, but it can also occur spontaneously. According to the information portal kinderkrebsinfo.de, there are two genetic changes in the progenitor cells of the retina, the so-called retinoblasts. A tumor can only develop if both forms of the retinoblastoma gene are changed. In around 60 percent of the cases, the mutations are not inherited, but occurred spontaneously.

However, there is no scientific evidence that (too much) television can cause eye cancer. According to scientists from the medical faculties of the Martin Luther University Halle Wittenberg and the University of Duisburg-Essen, there is also no connection between eye cancer and smartphone use. The ultraviolet rays in the solarium, on the other hand, are suspected of causing eye cancer.