Types Of Eye Cancer
The types of eye cancer are collectively called ocular cancer. There are types of eye cancer that are found in the eye and there are some that are found outside of the eye as well. There are basically three types of eye cancer that are intraocular or the ones affecting the inside. These three are divided into melanomas, lymphomas, and rare cancers.
Melanoma types of eye cancer grow from the eye pigments. They can come from the eyelids, eyeballs and conjunctivas. All three melanoma types of eye cancer are quite rare. The most common among them, however, is the eyeball melanoma wherein the cancer cells grow from the choroid, the layer of the eyeball that is found in the middle. Remember, nonetheless, that eyeball melanoma can also start from the iris. The best thing about melanoma types of eye cancer is that they can be seen and diagnosed at an early stage. There are three kinds of melanoma eye cancers too, spindle cells, non-spindle cells, and a combination of the two. The treatment for these types of eye cancer would be either surgery or radiotherapy.
Lymphoma variety of eye cancer are basically those that start from the lymph nodes. The people who have weak immune systems are the ones that are most likely going to get affected by these. This is why the people who get these types of eye cancer are often the elderly, the ones that have AIDS, and those who have organ transplanted to them.
The rare types of eye cancer develop in children, the retinoblastoma and the medulloepithelioma. Children who are under 5 years old get affected by retinoblastoma, mostly. The main cause of these cancers would be genetics, as the children who get these are born with weak retinoblastoma genes. Treatment options that are available for retinoblastoma includes chemotherapy, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, thermotherapy, and many others. Medulloepithelioma, on the other hand, are eye cancers that are known to not spread. Here, surgery is the best treatment bet. And the worst part of all this is that it involves taking out the entire eye.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is one of the rare types of eye cancer. They are often seen in children too. Here, the cancer affects the section of the sarcoma that has soft tissue.
There are also eye cancers that are seen on the eyelids. These are called basal cell skin cancers. They are treated the same way as any other kinds of skin cancer. There are also cancer types that victimize the eyeball. These are the cancer cells that develop from nerves, skin tissues, and muscle tissues as well.
Secondary eye cancers can occur as well. Basically, secondary eye cancers are those that cancer types that start from other parts of the body and spreads to the eyes. In men, most secondary eye cancers begin in the lungs. In women, these secondary eye cancers begin in the breast.
Cancer is a serious disease. This is why it is very important that you get to know as much types as early as possible to get to know ways on how to avoid it.