Cancer within your eye is very rare. However, there are a few types of cancer that can cause a lump in or around your eye. Cancer is caused by an abnormal and uncontrolled growth of cells.
Cancer that develops in your eyeball is called intraocular cancer. There are several different types of intraocular eye cancer and all of them are very rare.
Cancer that develops around your eye is called extraocular cancer. Extraocular cancers are more common. They are more common in older people, particularly those who have had a lot of sun exposure during their lives.

Intraocular eye cancers
Eye cancers within the eye include the following.
Ocular melanoma (uveal melanoma). Melanoma is the most common type of eye cancer you can get in your eye if you’re an adult. It can affect the uvea of your eye, which is the front half of the eyeball..Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This type of cancer usually develops in your lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are glands throughout your body that are part of your immune system. However, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma sometimes develops in your eye. Retinoblastoma. This develops in the retina, which is at the back inner surface of your eye. It can affect one or both of your eyes. It’s often inherited and develops in young children, usually under fives. Over nine out of 10 children with retinoblastoma are cured with the right treatment.

Ocular melanoma. This usually occurs in the eye, but it can also form on your eyelid or conjunctiva (the covering of your eyeball).Other forms of skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, can develop near your eye. They usually don’t spread and can be cured. Rhabdomyosarcoma. This is a particularly rare type of eye cancer that develops in the muscles that move your eye. It mostly affects children.
Your treatment will depend on the type of eye cancer you have, its size, how far it’s spread, and your health. Your doctor will explain your treatment options and help you make choices. Feel free to ask any questions you have so you feel fully informed.
There are three main treatments for eye cancer – surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. If you have a type of skin cancer near your eye, have a look at our information on skin cancer.

Surgery
Surgery removes cancerous tissue. Sometimes only the tumour and a small amount of healthy eye tissue will need to be removed, such as your iris. However, you might need to have your whole eyeball removed, which is called enucleation surgery. If you have your eye removed, an artificial, or prosthetic, eyeball can be created to match your remaining eye.
Some types of eye cancer, such as melanoma of the eye, can be treated with special laser therapy. This uses an infrared laser (beam of light) to destroy the cancer cells.

Radiotherapy
Doctors sometimes use surgery andradiotherapy together to treat eye cancer. Radiotherapy uses radiation to destroy cancer cells. A beam of radiation is targeted at the cancerous cells, which shrinks the tumour. Sometimes, a source of radioactive material will be put in or near your tumour. This is called brachytherapy. Radiotherapy is often used to treat melanoma of the eye.
The length of your radiotherapy treatment will depend on what type of eye cancer you have and how severe it is. If you have melanoma of the eye, you may have external beam radiotherapy as small doses over a few days, or brachytherapy for a week.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment to destroy cancer cells with medicines. Chemotherapy can be effective for treating lymphoma of the eye and retinoblastoma. It's only used for melanoma of the eye if other types of treatment haven't worked.
Chemotherapy is usually given into your vein using a drip. Sometimes it may be given as tablets.
Side-effects are the unwanted effects of chemotherapy. They can include losing your hair, feeling sick, tired and having diarrhoea.

Op.Dr.Ahmet UMAY
Bristol University
Ophtalmology Section /United Kingdom

Resource :Bupa.co.uk