The Eye and the Cancer

The eye has three main layers 

Intraocular cancers effect

The Sclera which is the white tissue that covers most of the outer layer of the eye.

The Uvea which is the middle layer of the eyeball. It consists of the Iris, is the colored part of the eye that surrounds the pupal. The choroid, which supplies the front of the eye with blood. 

The Ciliary Body which help with shaping the lens to focus on objects near or far.

 Retina which is the “light sensing” cells that are connected to the brain by the optic nerve. The retina processes light allowing one the gift of sight.

Orbital (eye socket) Cancers
Effect the tissues around the eye including the muscles that make the eye move.

Adnexal Cancers- effect the eyelids and tear glands

Intraocular, Orbital, and Adnexal cancers

• Primary-begin within the eye

• Secondary- cancers that spread to the eye

• Melanomas- slow growing pigment spot on the iris consists of two cells typically composed of both.
-Spindle Cells- long and thin cells
-Epirhelliod cells- round and some straight edges

• Lymphoma-begins withing the immune system of the cells. Typically within lymph nodes. (rare)
-Hodgkin disease
-non-hodgkin lymphoma

• Eyelid Carcinoma- type of skin cancer if treated early it is not considerd dangerous. 

• Conjuctive Melanoma- reacuring tumor and if left untreated  it can spready to lymph nodes

• Hemangioma-  tumor of the choriod and retna

• Rentinoblastoma- childhood form of eye cancer

Melanoma is more common in people with lighter eyes. People with moles, and those who have had too much exposure to sunlight
About 4 out of 10 retinoblastomas are due to an inherited faulty gene. (genetic)
Human papilloma virus (HPV) may cause squamous cell carcinoma of the eye in combination with other factors. The virus causes squamous cell cancers elsewhere in the body
Those with HPV have a higher risk of squamous call cancers in the eye.

1/15,000 children is affected by Retinoblastoma
 estimation of 8,500 children are affected worldwide each year.
92% survival rate
 Eye cancer: 2,200 annual cases

1 in 123,636
 2,200 people in USA 

Incidence in USA for e
ye cancer: 2,199 per year,
183 per month,
42 per week,
6 per day

    

Eye tumors are typically secondary tumors caused by other cancers that have spread to other body parts. [Ex. Breast and lung cancer] The primary cancers withing the eye are different for children and adults. Children obtain Retinoblastoma and adults melanoma is dominant. Melanoma, the uncontrolled growth of Melanocytes occurs more often in the elderly, around 2,000 cases are diagnosed within the united states each year. Retinoblastoma which is a cancer of the retina targets young children effecting hundreds each year. Eye tumors easily spread to the optic nerve and brain if untreated.  Melanoma has the capability of spreading through the blood vessels to other organs. Treatment varies on the growth, aggressiveness, and diagnostic in extreme cases one should require constructive surgery. One can artificially replace the appearance of an eye but loose complete eyesight.

Eye cancers are uncommon- treatment varies by type and how advanced it is.

Types of treatment
Surgery
Radiation Therapy
Freezing, laser, or Heat therapy

http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov/atlas/index.jsp
http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/world-health-rankings
http://cancercontrolplanet.cancer.gov/atlas/index.jsp
http://www.cancer.net/patient/Cancer+Types/Eye+Cancerht
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/EyeCancer/DetailedGuide/eye-cancer-what-is-eye-cancer
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/eyecancer.html
http://www.noah-health.org/en/cancer/types/eye.html
http://eyetumor.wustl.edu/about_tumors.html
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/wilmer/conditions/tumors.html
http://www.daisyseyecancerfund.org/rb/rb/incidence.html