Cancers arising from the structures of the eyeball and sockets are rare, notes the National Cancer Institute (NCI). The most common forms of cancer originating in the structures of the eye in adults in the United States are intraocular melanomas. They originate from the pigmented inner lining of the eye. The other kind of cancer arising in the eye is intraocular lymphoma. Retinoblastoma, a rare kind of cancer arising in the retina of the eye, is seen in children. The causes of cancer in the eye are not known, but there are known risk factors.
Age
The Mayo clinic states that the risks of eye melanoma increases with age. The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) further states that the eye melanoma is rare in adults over 70 years old and in children, but is more common after 50 years of age. Most retinoblastomas are seen in children less than three years of age. Retinoblastoma is extremely rare in older children and adults.
Ethnicity and Eye Color
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Caucasians have a higher risk of developing cancer of the eye than other races. This is the same for eye melanoma and eyelid skin cancers. People with green or blue eyes are more likely to develop eye melanoma, notes the Mayo clinic, than those with darker colored eyes.
Inherited Conditions
According to the ACS, certain inherited conditions like dysplastic nevus syndrome and nevus of Ota, or oculodermal melanocytosis, increase the risk of eye melanoma. An inherited genetic defect is seen in one out of three cases of retinoblastoma.
Immune Suppression
Suppressed immune systems are at increased risk for developing intraocular lymphomas. This, explains the ACS, is the only known risk factor for eye lymphomas. Those with suppressed immunity include people with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome and recipients of transplants on immunosuppressant treatment.
Other Possible Factors
According to the Mayo clinic, some studies suggest that excessive exposure to sunlight may be implicated in the development of eye melanoma, though some other studies do not support this finding. Certain jobs and occupational exposure like welders, fishermen, farmers and chemical workers may be at risk for eye melanoma, states the ACS, although the findings are not conclusive. The use of tanning, or sun, lamps may also be implicated in the development of eye cancer, according to the ACS, although this, too, has not been verified.
References
- National Cancer Institute: General Information About Intraocular (Eye) Melanoma
- Mayo clinic: Eye melanoma Risk factors
- American Society of Clinical Oncology: Eye Cancer: Risk Factors
- American Cancer Society: What Are the Risk Factors for Eye Cancer?
- American Cancer Society: What are the Risk Factors for Retinoblastoma?
