Eye Melanoma Information, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment Options

An eye melanoma is a type of cancer that affects some of the cells in the eyes, which are called melanin. These melanin cells are responsible for the color of the eyes. The skin has them too. There are three different parts of the eye where an eye melanoma occurs most commonly. The first one is the iris. It is the ring of color that surrounds the pupil. The second part is the choroid layer that is positioned behind the uvea. And the last part is the ciliary body. Since this type of cancer often causes no symptoms initially, many people don’t realize that they have it until it has become more advanced. Because of this, it is important to understand the following information about the condition.

Information. Although doctors are not sure why, those who have blue or green eyes have the highest risk of developing an eye melanoma, especially if they are also Caucasian. This could be because people with these two eye colors are more sensitive to ultraviolet light from the sun, which can cause other types of cancers, such as skin cancer, too. Since those who develop eye melanomas often have a close relative who has had the condition, there also seems to be a genetic factor behind it. But since a person’s eye and skin color are both genetic traits, it is unclear whether or not eye melanomas develop in families because of a genetic mutation that is being passed down or because the appearance of the group of relatives is all similar.