The 4th of February is World Cancer Day. It is an internationally recognised day aimed at increasing consciousness about cancer and encouraging prevention, diagnostics, and treatment of cancerous diseases.
The eyes are no exception where tumours are concerned
It is not common knowledge that cancer may affect the eyes. Some 30 years ago, cancer of the eyes was a rarity, however, sadly, in recent years the numbers are on the rise. Several hundred Czech suffer from it each year. Cancer may affect the eyelids, the area surrounding the eyes, the surface of the eye as well as the inside. Intraocular melanoma actually ranks among the deadliest of all tumours.
Who is at risk?
Most at risk are those aged 45 and above. It affects men and women equally. This age group ought to pay increased attention to preventive eye check-ups. Tumorous diseases of the eyes may, however, appear in any age groups, children included. In children, the most common type is retinoblastoma, a cancerous tumour affecting the retina in children usually aged 2 and under.
What causes and how to recognise this problem
Cancerous eye diseases manifest themselves in a number of ways. If the cancer appears on the surface of the eye, it may be detected fairly easily through alterations to the shape of the eyelid or the eye opening, different colouration of the conjunctiva or the white part, bulging eyeball or through worsened vision such as blurriness or fogginess. In case that the cancerous tumour forms inside the eye, it may only manifest itself some years later. In such a case, there is potential threat of metastasis to the brain, lungs, or liver. This type of cancer is best diagnosed by a specialist during routine preventive eye examination.
The most common causes of cancerous formations of the eyes are the ultraviolet sunrays. Lengthy time spent in direct sunlight without adequate eye protection may be very harmful. The current way of life may also be a factor. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to spend most of our time indoors beneath artificial light. This causes the loss of pigmentation which we normally acquire through exposure to natural light. This pigmentation protects the cells of the eyes and the skin.
Prevention is better than cure
This saying applies to all diseases. Cancer is not exempt. The easiest way of protecting one`s health is to make the time for regular check-ups. Thanks to these, specialists can diagnose problems in good time and thus may commence the required treatment. Sometimes this may mean the difference between life and death.
Protect your eyes
It is common knowledge that in the summertime we should protect our skin with sunscreen. It is not so common knowledge though that the same applies to the eyes. We can protect our eyes from harmful UV rays by wearing sunglasses with strong enough filter and the surrounding area of the eyes by applying high factor quality sunscreen. Despite these protective measures it is still best to limit our stay in direct sunlight in the middle of the day during spring and summer when the UV ray’s intensity is at its highest.
Cancerous diseases of the eyes can be cured but it is important that these are detected and diagnosed early. The sooner these are diagnosed the better the prognosis. It is therefore essential to not underestimate prevention and to contact a specialist whenever in doubt.