Eye tumours

Tumors in the eye are usually secondary tissue caused by cancer that has spread from other parts of the body, especially the breast, lungs, intestines, or prostate. Two common types of tissue evolve within the eye itself and are known as retinoblastoma in children and melanoma in adults.

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina, a tissue that is sensitive to light. This common eye cancer in children usually affects children under the age of five, affecting 500 to 600 in the United States each year. In about a third of cases, retinoblastoma appears in both eyes. While symptoms may not be present at the onset of the disease, increasing pain and loss of vision eventually indicate a problem.

Malignant melanoma most commonly occurs in adults aged 60 to 65 years, resulting from uncontrolled growth of cells called melanocytes. From 1,500 to 2,000 new cases are found every year in the United States.