Experts have urged the public to be vigilant of seven key signs of eye cancer that are often dismissed or mistaken for harmless conditions.
Among changes eye specialists have highlighted are blurred vision and eye irritation that doesn’t respond to standard treatments — which many people put down to staring at screens for too long.
According Cancer Research UK, eye cancer cases in the UK have been steadily rising, with incidence rates increasing by almost a third since the early 1990s.
While it is most often seen in over 50s, numbers of younger patients being diagnosed are increasing and many cases are missed until the cancer is advanced.
The most common type is ocular melanoma, a skin cancer that forms in the middle of the eyeball — and UV exposure, from the sun or sunbeds, is a potential trigger.
Other symptoms include sudden changes in eyesight, loss of peripheral vision and seeing ‘flashes’ or ‘shadowy shapes’.
Dark spots appearing on the iris — the coloured part of the eyeball — are another red flag, as are lumps and swellings around the eye.
Redness or irritation in the eye that persists despite standard treatment should also be investigated, warned Neil Laird, optometrist at online eye health shop Pure Optical.
Experts have urged the public to be vigilant of seven key signs of eye cancer that are often dismissed or mistaken for harmless conditions
‘Many people tend to overlook changes in their vision or the appearance of their eyes, assuming it’s simply a result of ageing, stress, or just using their devices for too longm’ said Mr Laird.
‘Identifying these subtle signs early on can be crucial.
‘Many of these symptoms can resemble harmless conditions, which is why they can be easily dismissed.
‘However, if something seems off or continues longer than you’d expect, it’s always wise to have it examined.
‘Eye cancer doesn’t have to mean a death sentence if detected early.’
People who have a first-degree relative diagnosed with melanoma have a 30 to 50 per cent increased risk of developing eye cancer, added Mr Laird.
‘Shielding your eyes from UV radiation is also crucial, as UV exposure can lead to uncommon forms of eye cancer, like conjunctival melanoma.
‘To minimise this risk, wear quality sunglasses that block UV rays or add a layer of UV protection to your everyday glasses.’
The NHS recommends an eye exam every two years, or once a year if you’re at an increased risk.
Early detection significantly improves treatment outcomes, with around 95 per cent of people diagnosed with eye cancer surviving for one year or more.
Other types of cancers that affect the eye include basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are also types of skin cancer that can affect the eyelids.
Lacrimal gland cancer is a rare type that starts in the glands produce a fluid that cleans and protects the surface of the eyelid.
Rhabdomyosarcoma — a cancer that affects muscles, tendons and nerves — can also occur around the eye.
It affects mainly young children, but sometimes it is diagnosed in babies and the elderly.
Children under 16, of young adults aged 16 to 18 and in full-time education, and those 60 are eligible for free check-ups on the High Street.
People registered as partially sighted or blind, who have been diagnosed with diabetes or glaucoma, or have a family history of glaucoma are also entitled to free tests.
‘While eye cancer may not receive as much attention as other types, its effects can be equally significant,’ said Mr Laird.
‘This year, make it a point to focus on your eye health by booking a routine eye exam or seeking advice from a professional if you observe any unusual changes.’
People at greater risk of eye cancers include those with lighter eye colours — blue, grey or green eyes — and pale skin.
People with unusual irregularly shaped or unusually coloured moles and also more likely to develop the disease.
A recent study comparing eye cancer statistics in Canada over time found roughly 7.2 per cent of patients were under 40 between 1992 and 2010, rising to 7.4 per cent between 2011 and 2017.
The warnings come amid a global increase in cancers in younger people, with women worst affected.
Earlier this month, worrying new data revealed that British women under 50 are around 70 per cent more likely to develop cancer than men of a similar age.
A similar pattern has emerged in the US, with women under 50 now 82 per cent higher than men of the same age — compared to a difference of 51 per cent two decades a go.
The gender discrepancy comes amid a soaring rise in disease among young people on both sides of the Atlantic, with global cases of cancer in the under 50s rising by 79 per cent since the 1990s.
In the UK, cases of some forms like breast and bowel cancer in some younger age groups have risen by 17 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.
One reason is the falling rates of some cancers that affect men.
These include cases of melanoma, the blood cancer non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and prostate cancer.
Simultaneously, cases of cancers that affect women have risen in younger women, experts from the American Cancer Society, explain in the journal CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Almost half of all cancer cases that affect young women aged under 50 are now breast or thyroid.
Thyroid cancer — which affects the tiny butterfly-shaped gland in the neck — has soared 256 per cent.
The researchers added that changes in cancer screening practices could also have led to increased diagnoses in younger women.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
