A woman from Massachusetts found out she had a rare type of eye cancer after a routine visit to opticians. Initially, she thought she just needed to update her glasses but found out she was seriously ill.
Massachusetts Woman Diagnosed With Rare Eye Cancer
Eleanor Levine, 26, visited her doctors to update her reading glasses. According to her, she just thought her reading glasses needed a slight update and was in a "full-on panic" after learning about his condition because she didn't notice the symptoms.
She was diagnosed with ocular melanoma, a form of cancer that originates in melanocytes, the cells that make melanin, the pigment responsible for the color of skin, hair, and eyes.
Melanocytes are present in the eyes and the skin, where melanoma typically manifests as brown moles.
Though it can affect any area of the eye, ocular melanoma most frequently affects the uvea, the main layer of the eyeball that houses the colored iris.
Pupil shape or size changes, adjustments to the position or motion of the eyeball, enlarging eyes, dark spots on the iris, flashing lights in your field of vision, and fuzzy vision are among the symptoms.
Since Levine's symptoms were so mild, she wasn't aware of them until she met her doctor.
"I had some vision loss peripherally in my left eye, and I was having some left-sided headaches," she said. "Before this, I didn't notice any symptoms at all."
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), roughly 3,500 persons in the US were diagnosed with the disease in 2023. Five to six cases are thought to occur for every million persons.
Although white persons or those with light-colored eyes are more likely to develop ocular melanoma, the exact cause of Levine's instance has remained unknown even to the doctors.
Medical professionals started Proton beam therapy for Ms. Levine in November 2022. This kind of radiation does not employ X-rays; it uses molecules known as protons. The idea is to target tumors more directly without injuring adjacent tissues.
Levine's tests have shown no evidence of cancer since she began treatment. She will, however, require five more years of treatment, which will involve getting injections in her eyes to stop and halt the progression of her vision loss.
What Is Ocular Melanoma?
An aggressive kind of cancer that typically develops in the skin is called melanoma. Melanocytes, the cells that create melanin, the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color, are where melanoma begins to grow.
Ocular melanoma, the most prevalent type of eye cancer, develops in melanocytes. Although it can form anywhere in the eye, ocular melanoma usually develops in the eyeball's main layer (uvea). The uvea, which houses the iris-colored portion of the eye- is located behind the sclera, the white covering.
Ocular melanoma may not exhibit any symptoms or indicators. When symptoms appear, they could be mistaken for those of other, less severe illnesses. For this reason, you must visit your physician or an ophthalmologist if you experience any of the following symptoms.
- A dark circle in the center of the iris indicates a change in the pupil's size or shape.
- Positional shifts or motions of the eyeball inside the socket
- Bulging eyes
- Dark spot on the iris that is growing
- Feeling of flickering lights or specks, or "floaters," in your range of vision
- issues with vision, such as fuzzy vision or losing some of your field of vision
Melanoma-specific testing includes eye ultrasound, biopsy, and fluorescein angiography. Melanoma treatments include immunotherapy, surgery, targeted therapy and Eye cancer care with Penn Ophthalmology at the Scheie Eye Institute.
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