Common Laser Surgery For Uncommon Cancer - Doctors Have New Option In Treating Often Devastating Eye Cancer

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Eye Health / Blindness;  Cancer / Oncology
Article Date: 12 May 2008 - 8:00 PDT

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Chances are you or someone you know has had laser eye surgery to correct blurry vision. Now, doctors are using the procedure in a new way. In some cases, they're not just helping patients see better, they're actually preventing them from going blind.

Mike Samogala says he's never taken time with his kids for granted. Lately, those moments have meant even more. Just a few months ago, Mike was diagnosed with eye cancer. It came with no warning or symptoms.

"There was nothing. I mean, you just, every year you get your eyes examined and you can tell when you need your glasses or contacts changed, and that's what it was like," says Samogala.

Because there are so few treatment options, Mike lost his eye to cancer. But doctors hope to prevent that in other patients by using a very common, very proven approach.

"Laser may be used for very early, very thin melanomas that are not near the optic nerve. These patients require closer follow up, but if the laser is used they can preserve 100% of their vision in many cases," says Tom Olencki, MD, with Ohio State University's James Cancer Hospital.

Dr. Olencki says that's a vast improvement over some of the options in the past. Most patients either lost the eye, or underwent more extensive radiation treatments. Catching the tumor early could mean something as simple as a few minutes under the laser. And it could mean more than just saving a patient's eyesight, it could save their lives.

"Many times if the eye melanoma is discovered while it's still small and thin, we can almost assure patients long-term survival," says Olencki.

Doctors aren't sure what causes eye cancer, but it may have something to do with eye color. His pale blue eyes may have put Mike more at risk.* Eye cancer is rare, affecting only about 2,000 people each year.** Doctors believe exposing the eyes to direct, bright sunlight and smoking may be risk factors. Experts say you should get your eyes checked by age 50, especially if you notice a change in your vision.

*Risk Factors for Primary Intraocular Melanoma, American Cancer Society. Retrieved April 2008 from http://www.cancer.org
**Cancer Facts & Figures 2008, American Cancer Society. Retrieved April 2008 from http://www.cancer.org keywords: cancer rates 2008

Ohio State University