There are several eye cancer risk factors. Some factors are specific to a particular age, while others are specific to a particular race and ethnicity. It is important to identify these eye cancer risk factors and follow eye cancer prevention measures to lower the risk.
What are Eye Cancer Risk Factors?
Some of the common eye cancer risk factors are:
Age
Although eye cancer may occur at any age, it is an eye cancer risk factor for several cancers. The risk of eye cancer usually increases with age, such as in uveal melanoma. However, certain eye cancers, such as retinoblastoma, generally occur at an early age.
Gender
Certain types of cancer, such as uveal melanoma and conjunctival melanoma, are more common in men than in women. However, the gender bias in eye cancer may vary widely and additionally depend on several other risk factors.
Family History
Certain types of eye cancer involve hereditary components. People with a family history of uveal melanoma are at greater risk of developing this condition than those with no family history of uveal melanoma. However, eye cancer running in families is rare, and the genetic causes behind it are under investigation.
Skin color
People with a specific skin color or tone may have an increased risk for eye cancer. People with fair skin or freckles are at increased risk of developing eye cancer.
Eye color
Eye color is another eye cancer risk factor. People with light-colored eyes are at higher risk for eye cancer. Further, gray, blue, or green eyes are also risk factors for ocular melanoma. People with abnormal spots on the uvea or iris have an enhanced risk for ocular melanoma.
Inherited conditions
The presence of certain inherited conditions is also an eye cancer risk factor. Dysplastic nevus syndrome, characterized by the presence of abnormal skin moles, increases the risk of eye cancer. Oculodermal melanocytosis increases the risk of uveal melanoma. Another rare inherited syndrome, BAP1 cancer syndrome, increases the risk for uveal melanoma along with various other cancers, such as malignant mesothelioma, skin melanoma, and kidney cancer.
Sunning and tanning
Excessive exposure to solar radiation is also an eye cancer risk factor. Further, UV light from the tanning bed also increases the risk of ocular cancer.
Unusual moles
The presence of unusual moles in the skin or the eyes increases the risk of uveal melanoma. The moles occur in the choroid and iris. Primary acquired melanosis, a condition characterized by the excessive growth of melanocytes in the eye, may increase the risk of conjunctival melanoma.
Other Factors
There are several other eye cancer risk factors. These include specific occupations such as welding, the presence of skin melanoma, HIV infection, HPV infection, use of immunosuppressant drugs, and white people (compared with Hispanics, African Americans, and Asian Americans).
Top 7 Eye Cancer Prevention Measures
Several people ask about how to prevent eye cancer. There is no method for complete eye cancer prevention. Certain measures may lower the risk of eye cancer. Following are some of the eye cancer prevention measures:
Getting Vitamin C and Zinc
Appropriate doses of vitamin C and zinc not only reduce the risk of eye cancer but also help manage the symptoms of eye cancer and reduce the long-term complications and damage to the eyes. Vitamin C lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. Both vitamin C and zinc improve the overall immunity that assists in the destruction of abnormal cells.
Limit Exposure to Sunlight
It is important to limit prolonged exposure to solar radiation. The steps that can lower sunlight exposure include tightly woven fabric without holes to cover the skin. A hat also helps protect the face and eyes from UV radiation.
Wearing wrap-around sunglasses
There is a recommendation from the American Cancer Society to wear UV-protected sunglasses when going outside in strong sunlight. Wrap-around sunglasses provide 99% to 100% protection against ultraviolet radiation for the skin and eyes. These sunglasses may protect against eyelid cancer. Certain specialists believe that these sunglasses also reduce the risk of ocular melanoma.
Avoid smoking
People generally believe that smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. However, studies have reported that smoking also affects the cells of the eyes. It has been found that smoking increases the risk of dry eye syndrome, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and cataracts. Further, smoking reduces the flow of blood to the eyes, disrupts retinal function, and increases the risk of eye cancer. Thus, avoiding smoking lowers the risk of eye cancer and improves overall eye health.
Limiting alcohol intake
Limiting alcohol consumption lowers the risk of eye cancer. Alcohol may be responsible for various ocular conditions, such as retinopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma. Consuming a significant amount of alcohol may alter the genetic makeup of eye cells and increase the risk of eye cancer.
Avoiding injury to the eye
It is important to avoid injuries to the eye, as certain eye injuries increase the risk of eye cancer.
Regular eye exams
Regular eye examinations are among the most important eye cancer prevention measures that lower the risk of eye cancer. Regular eye examination, especially in people with high eye cancer risk, assists in early diagnosis and appropriate management of those conditions that significantly enhance eye cancer risk.
Conclusion
Eye cancer risk factors include family history, eye color, skin color, unusual moles, sunning and tanning, and inherited conditions. The eye cancer prevention measures include getting vitamin C and zinc, wearing wrap-around sunglasses, limiting alcohol intake, avoiding eye injury, avoiding smoking, having regular eye exams, and limiting exposure to sunlight.
Frequently Asked Questions
Early diagnosis and treatment of eye cancer may improve the survival rate. The survival rate depends on several other factors, such as eye cancer types, treatment response, and overall health.
Experts believe sunglasses reduce UV radiation exposure to the eyes and lower the risk of eye cancer.
The partial or complete loss of vision during or after eye cancer depends upon the type of structure affected, the stage of the disease, and the response to treatment.
Some biopsy complications include retinal detachment, cataracts, and increased intraocular pressure.
Malignant cells from the eyes break from the primary tumor and travel to various other organs, including the liver and lungs. These cells then grow in these organs to form tumors.
The possibility of cancer recurrence depends on the type of cancer and the stage of diagnosis. Almost half of the cases of uveal melanoma recur, while one-third to half of the cases of conjunctival melanoma recur.
