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Intraocular Melanoma
- Days In Hospital 3 days
- Outside Hospital Stay 15 days
- Success Rate 82%
Minimum Cost
$ 4000
Maximum Cost.
$ 9500
Overview of Intraocular Melanoma in India
Melanoma of the eye is a form of cancer that originates from cells producing pigment (melanin) inside the eyes. For example, when we say "pigment," we usually think of the colour of our skin; however, pigments are present inside the eye as well. Melanoma of the eye is known variously as ocular melanoma, intraocular melanoma, uveal melanoma and choroidal/nevi/report/eye-melanoma-articles.
Most cases of melanoma in the eye occur in a part of the eye that is not visible when viewed in a mirror. This lack of visual detection makes it difficult to discover the presence of melanoma at an early stage. Commonly, a person with melanoma of the eye will not show any signs of illness until much later in life.
While melanoma of the eye can be treated, the treatment for small tumours will typically not result in loss of vision. However, for larger tumours, the treatment will often lead to loss of vision.
What Is Intraocular Melanoma?
Intraocular melanoma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the inside of the eye. Melanocytes, the pigment-producing cells in the body, will grow uncontrollably due to intraocular melanoma. There is a possibility of changes to vision or of losing sight altogether as a result of this illness.
Intraocular melanoma usually develops in the uvea, the central layer of the eye located between the outer scleral layer and the retina (the layer of the eye that creates images from light and allows for vision).
Uveal melanoma is another name for intraocular melanoma. It can occur in any of the three structures of the uvea:
iris (the colored part of the eye), ciliary body (ring of muscle behind the iris), and choroid (a vascular structure that supplies the eye with oxygen and nutrients).
Choroidal melanoma develops most frequently within the choroid; however, uveal melanoma can develop from the uvea into other areas of the body, most commonly the liver and the lungs.
The types of cells that comprise both types of melanomas (skin and intraocular) are the same; however, they are classified as two different cancers.
Where Eye Melanoma Develops
Most cases of eye melanoma originate from abnormal cells in the uvea or middle layer of the eye. There are three parts of the uvea that can become involved in an eye melanoma case:
- The iris - The iris is the colored part of the front of the eye.
- The choroid - The choroid is made up of blood vessels and support tissue and resides at the back of the uvea.
- The ciliary body - The ciliary body resides behind the iris (colored part) and is responsible for one’s ability to see clearly and produce a clear liquid (aqueous humour) that fills the front of the eye.
The occurrence of melanoma in other areas of the eye is rare. However, there are three other areas of the eye where melanoma can develop:
- The layer of tissue covering the front surface of the eyeball is called the conjunctiva.
- The area surrounding the eye is referred to as the orbit.
- The skin surrounding the eye is known as the eyelid.
Types of Intraocular Melanoma:
Procedure:
Your options for treatment basically depend on a few factors: results of your tests, location of the tumour, and the stage of your cancer. Apart from these, doctors will consider your eyesight in the good eye, age, overall health, and personal preferences. The main objectives? Preserve your eye, retain your sight and prevent the spread of cancer.
Also, ensure to consult your healthcare team— inquire about the various therapies, their objectives, and the kinds of dangers or side effects you may experience.
Doing therapy for the disease can sometimes be tough on your eyes. If you bear no signs of the tumour and it is not growing, your doctor may suggest no treatment for a while. That time is called watchful waiting. In other words, you will be attending regular checkups, and the tumor will be photographed to monitor changes. Treatment can be offered if it starts to grow.
There are two types of treatment of cancer: local and systemic.
Local treatments
These eliminate, kill or suppress cancerous cells in a single location. Local treatments are surgery and radiation.
Systemic treatment
This kills or cures cancer cells that can have moved throughout your body. Chemotherapy is a systemic treatment when it is administered as a pill or an injection.
Depending on your condition, you can select a number of options on how to treat this disease. They include:
Surgery
This is the most popular form of treatment. Only a small area of tissue, and the growth can be removed using it. However, in a few situations, the whole eye should be taken away. Other surrounding tissues are also removed occasionally. These may be your eyelid, as well as muscles in the region of the eye.
Radiation
The treatment of this disease can be done using various forms of radiation. One of them is by the use of a machine that aims a beam of radiations to your eye and treats the cancer. The other method is to place a small radioactive disk on the eye with the tumour. This can be referred to as plaque brachytherapy. It will use medicines to put you in a deep sleep before it begins, in case you have this procedure. The plaque disk may remain in its position a few days until it is surgically removed.
Photocoagulation
It may involve a special laser that kills both the tumour and the blood vessels that supply that tumour. Its application is largely for small tumours.
Transpupillary thermotherapy
This is the application of heat to kill cancer cells.
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Cost of Intraocular Melanoma in India
Depending on the patient's condition, the type of treatment, and other considerations, the cost of intraocular melanoma treatment in India can range from 4,000 USD to 9,500 USD or more.
Types of Intraocular Melanoma Treatment Cost in India
|
Type of Treatment |
Estimated Cost (USD) |
|
Enucleation (Eye Removal Surgery) |
$950 – $1,800 |
|
Plaque Radiotherapy (Brachytherapy) |
$2,400 – $6,000 |
|
External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT) |
$1,800 – $4,200 |
|
Proton Beam Therapy |
$9,600 – $18,000 |
|
Laser Therapy (TTT / Photocoagulation) |
$850 – $1,800 |
|
Cryotherapy |
$720 – $1,450 |
|
Local Resection Surgery |
$3,000 – $6,000 |
|
Adjuvant Therapy (Chemo/Immunotherapy, if needed) |
$1,800 – $3,600 per cycle |
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Indications of Intraocular Melanoma:
Sometimes, intraocular melanoma sneaks in without any clear symptoms. The tumour usually forms deep inside the eye, where you can't see or feel much, making it tough to notice anything’s wrong at first.
But when signs do show up, here’s what to watch for:
- Blind spots or vision that seems narrowed.
- Blurry sight or trouble seeing things clearly.
- The eye sits differently in the socket.
- The pupil changes in size or shape.
- A dark spot appears on your iris.
- The eye’s lens slipping out of place—this one shows up if the melanoma is in the ciliary body.
- Seeing double.
- Pain in or around the eye.
- Spots (floaters) or sudden flashes of light drifting into your vision.
- The retina comes loose from the back of the eye, especially if the melanoma is in the choroid layer.
Risk Factors:
The risk factors of eye melanoma are:
Light eye colour- Individuals with blue eyes or green eyes are at a higher risk of getting melanoma of the eye.
Having white skin, White people are highly susceptible to eye melanoma as compared to other races.
Age- With age, there is an increase in the risk of eye melanoma.
Some inherited skin disorders - There is a disorder called the dysplastic nevus syndrome that is associated with abnormal moles that increase the chances of having melanoma or eye cancer.
Individuals with a condition known as ocular melanocytosis are also at greater risk of being affected by eye melanoma. This is a condition whereby there is abnormal skin pigmentation of the eyelids and the tissue surrounding the eyelids. It also causes increased pigmentation of the uvea of the eye.
Genetic changes - There are some genetic alterations in which the parents have transferred some DNA to their offspring, making them susceptible to eye melanoma.
Exposure to ultraviolet light - There is some evidence that exposure to ultraviolet light may increase the risk of eye melanoma. Some sources of ultraviolet light are the sun and tanning beds.