Our eyes help us view the world, function and communicate with other people. Being diagnosed with an illness that may affect this can be worrying. The London Clinic has world-leading specialists working with dedicated, multidisciplinary teams.
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What is it for?
Treatment for eye cancer
Visit our Dedicated Eye Centre Website
Ocular or eye cancer is relatively uncommon with around 500 cases being diagnosed in the UK every year.
Early diagnosis and quick, effective management by a specialist team can offer the best chance of a cure.
In the early stages, eye cancer doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms and may only be picked up during a routine eye test.
That’s why it’s important to have regular eyesight checks, even if your vision is normal.
The London Clinic is committed to providing the best cancer care for our patients.
From first diagnosis, through treatment and recovery, our expert teams are dedicated to supporting you every step of the way.
Investigations and tests at The London Clinic
The London Clinic offers a range of tests to detect eye cancer quickly and efficiently. The high-tech imaging facilities will help your specialist diagnose and stage your cancer, so that you can be given the very best treatment.
Following consultation and assessment in the out-patient clinic, your consultant will arrange tests to discover more about your condition. These can include:
Ultrasound scan:Â This is often the first line of investigation for someone with worrying eye symptoms. A probe is used to create an image showing the size and location of your tumour. This can be useful for the accurate placement of radiotherapy.
Fluorescein angiography:Â A dye may be injected into your bloodstream and pictures taken using a specially-designed camera. These images can give more information about the cancer.
Biopsy:Â A thin needle may be inserted to remove cells from the tumour. These are examined in the laboratory by our expert pathologists.
Cytogenetic testing:Â Samples from a biopsy may be examined using specialist genetic tests to identify its characteristics. This can help your team understand the risks of the cancer coming back or spreading, so that they can plan the right treatment for your needs.
Eye cancer specialists at The London Clinic
The London Clinic’s priority is to provide our patients with support, comfort and expert cancer care. The Clinic has a dedicated Eye Centre, offering the latest treatments and investigations.
We have a team of experienced ophthalmologists and cancer specialists to treat your eye cancer. Our surgeons and oncologists can discuss the best ways of treating your cancer and explain the potential side effects.
Our specialists work with multi-disciplinary teams to support both your physical health and your emotional wellbeing.
Having cancer can be stressful, The London Clinic aims to make your treatment and your recovery as calm and comfortable as possible.
FAQs
Symptoms of eye cancer can include:
- Visual disturbance such as blurring, flashes of light, wiggly lines or shadows in the field of vision.
- Loss of vision: this can be partial or total.
- A dark patch: With melanoma, you may notice a pigmented area that increases in size.Â
- Eye bulging.
- A new swelling on the eyelid that’s getting bigger.
- Pain in the eye.
These symptoms can be triggered by many minor eye conditions, so there is no need to panic.
However, you should see your GP or get an eye-check if you have any concerns.
Cancer develops when cells in the eye start to divide and grow in an abnormal and uncontrolled way, forming a tumour. Several different types of cancer can affect the eyes.
The most common in an eye melanoma, which develops from the pigment cells. Other more uncommon cancers include squamous cell carcinoma, lymphoma and retinoblastoma, a rare cancer which develops in childhood.
Cancer can also develop in the skin or tissues around the eye, or may spread from other parts of the body.
Different cancers will grow and spread at different rates and require different treatment strategies.
This page focuses on the most common eye cancer, melanoma, but your team will customise a plan according to your individual needs.
The right choice of treatment for your eye cancer depends on the type of tumour, as well as its size and stage and whether the cancer has spread.
Your consultant will discuss the options with you and develop a personalise programme of treatment.
Laser treatment:Â Eye melanoma may be treated by lasers, which are focused onto the cancer cells through the pupil. Follow-up radiotherapy treatment may also be necessary.
Surgery:Â If the tumour is small and there is the chance of retaining some vision, surgery can be performed to remove the cancer or part of the eye.
Removal of the eye or enucleation, may be necessary if the cancer is bigger or your vision has been lost. When the area has healed, a prosthetic eye can be fitted.
These are extremely realistic and give a good cosmetic appearance, although they do not function.
Radiotherapy:Â High-energy X-ray radiation can be directed at the eye socket to destroy cancer cells.
The London Clinic has a dedicated radiotherapy suite with the latest image-guided, volumetric arc and intensity-modulated radiotherapy to increase the accuracy of treatment and reduce complications.
Chemotherapy:Â Different combinations of chemotherapy can be given by mouth or intravenous injection.
These prevent the cancer cells dividing and proliferating, helping to shrink the tumour and reduce the risk of spread.
Chemotherapy may be used to treat eye cancers due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or retinoblastoma.
The London Clinic offers outpatient chemotherapy in a comfortable, private and discreet location.
The risk of developing cancer is linked to your age, your genetics and your lifestyle.
Anyone could potentially develop eye melanoma, but some people are more at risk:
Age:Â Your risk increases with age, with few people being diagnosed before fifty.
Light eye colour:Â People with blue, grey or green eyes have an increased risk.
Pale skin:Â Eye melanoma is more common in white people with fair skin.
Unusual moles:Â People with moles that are irregularly shaped or coloured are more at risk of skin cancer and eye melanoma.
Sun exposure:Â Overexposure to sunlight or sunbed use can lead to a higher risk of eye melanoma.
We offer Fixed Price Packages
Where possible, we’ll provide a fixed-price package for your hospital care. This covers your hospital stay, nursing, and use of our facilities, giving you a clear guide to what those costs will be.
- Pre-op assessment
- Hospital stay, nursing care and meals
- Tests, scans and physio during your stay
- Take-home medication (up to 5 days)
- Post-op follow-up appointments
- Standard equipment or prosthesis (if needed)
- Unplanned extended stay or ITU (if clinically required)
- Initial consultation and any tests done during it
- Consultant and anaesthetist fees (quoted separately)
- Physio or therapy before or after your stay
- Diagnostics before admission (unless agreed in your plan)
- Specialist medication beyond 5 days
- Ambulance transport or bespoke prosthetics
Your consultant’s fees are quoted separately and shared directly by their office after your consultation. These professional fees cover the time, expertise, and care provided by your consultant before, during, and after your treatment. See our full terms and conditions
Why choose The London Clinic?
Trusted for over 90 years, The London Clinic is an independent charitable hospital that reinvests into care, research, and support for those who can’t easily access private treatment.
The UK’s largest independent hospital
More patients choose The London Clinic than any other.
Top-rated by real patients
4.86/5 from over 1,600 reviews on Doctify and over 4.5 on Google.
Full intensive care on-site
World-class 13-bed ICU for expert support if your care becomes complex.
Investing in clinical excellence
Backed by Northwestern, we equip our teams with cutting-edge medical equipment.
0% Finance Options
We’ve teamed up with Chrysalis to offer you funding options that allow you to spread the cost of your treatment.
If you choose to pay for your treatment at The London Clinic over 12 months, you can make use of a great 0% interest option and pay nothing extra. Or you can choose to pay over two to five years at 14.9% APR.
Trustees of the London Clinic Ltd trading as The London Clinic is an Appointed Representative of Chrysalis Finance Limited, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. The London Clinic is a credit broker, not a lender. The provider of a payment scheme which is not offered through or by Chrysalis Finance Limited may not be so authorised and regulated. Cancer treatments or transplants aren’t covered by finance packages. Finance options are only available for UK patients.