Eye cancer treatment at Markey is a collaborative effort involving specialists from ophthalmology, medical oncology, radiation oncology and other areas. We work together to provide you fast, effective treatment tailored to your specific needs.
Intraocular melanoma is often treated with brachytherapy. Uveal melanoma is highly treatable when we detect it early and it hasn’t spread beyond the eye. Researchers are looking for effective ways to treat this type of cancer once it spreads beyond the eye.
Ocular surface cancer can be treated with a combination of surgery and topical chemotherapy. Brachytherapy is rarely needed for this type of cancer.
Most skin cancers on the eyelids can be treated and removed with surgery, followed by plastic surgery to repair the eyelid if needed.
Eyelid and orbital cancer
Treating eyelid and orbital cancer involves removing the tumor and some surrounding tissue. We use plastic surgery to preserve or restore the appearance and functionality of your eyelid.
In some cases, doctors will collaborate on surgery, with a dermatologist performing Mohs surgery to remove the cancer followed by an ophthalmologist reconstructing the affected area.
We can completely remove most eyelid cancers without the need for further treatment.
Ocular surface tumors
Ocular surface tumors, like ocular surface squamous neoplasia or conjunctival melanoma, are cancers that form on the surface of the eyeball. We usually remove these tumors with surgery. Then we use cryotherapy, which is extreme cold, to destroy cancer cells. We may also use topical chemotherapy or brachytherapy.
We use plastic surgery to reconstruct eyelids affected by cancer treatment. The specific technique we use will depend on the location and size of the affected area. Your exact reconstruction plan will be tailored to your individual needs.
Common approaches include rotational flaps, where tissue is rotated to cover the affected area. Both the front and back layers of the eyelid may require reconstruction. For the front layer, we may rotate skin from the outer eyelid or use a skin graft.
We may perform eyelid reconstruction the same day we remove your cancer or we may do it at another time. Your doctor will discuss the best approach with you.
You'll need a follow-up appointment one week after your reconstruction surgery and another one several months later.
Also called ocular brachytherapy, this is the most common treatment for uveal melanomas and some other eye cancers.
Brachytherapy involves implanting tiny radiation seeds near the cancer to target the tumor. The seeds are encased in a small gold coin or block to reduce damage to healthy parts of the eye and head.
Your ophthalmologist, radiation physicist and radiation oncologist will carefully plan and customize the exact type of brachytherapy you get.
How the brachytherapy procedure works:
- You’ll be asleep during the procedure to implant the brachytherapy seeds.
- The seeds will remain in your body for four to seven days.
- You can go home on the day of your procedure.
- We remove the seeds after four to seven days.
After brachytherapy, you’ll need regular follow-up visits for five to 10 years. These appointments help us:
- Ensure the treatment is working to shrink the tumor
- Check for radiation side effects, including loss of vision (radiation retinopathy or maculopathy)
External beam therapy can treat some eye cancer or cancer that has spread from other parts of the body. This type of radiation precisely targets the entire eye and helps manage the disease and improve outcomes.
Intraocular cancer
We may use intraocular chemotherapy to treat primary vitreoretinal lymphoma, a rare form of intraocular cancer. During this treatment, we inject the chemotherapy directly into the eye.
Ocular surface tumors
We may use chemotherapy before or after surgery to treat ocular surface tumors.
Intraocular cancer
When intraocular cancer spreads to other parts of the body, we may use chemotherapy or immunotherapy to treat it.
Eyelid cancer
Patients with sebaceous cell carcinoma, a form of eyelid cancer, may benefit from chemotherapy treatment.
