Management of Intraocular Tumor
Overview
Intraocular tumors may cause blurred vision or other visual disturbance in patients. Intraocular tumors can be benign in most cases; however, it can be malignant, such as uveal melanoma, retinoblastoma, and intraocular lymphoma. Diagnosis of intraocular tumors needs both physical and eye exam. Treatments of intraocular tumors include options such as surgery, radiation therapy, laser, and thermotherapy.
Features Summary
Comprehensive examinations are important to help diagnose intraocular tumors, including slit-lamp biomicroscope, ophthalmoscopy, ophthalmic ultrasound, fluorescein angiography, indocyanine green angiography,and ocular coherence tomography. Different treatment options are provided to treat intraocular tumors, including systemic medication, surgery, radiation therapy, laser, and cryotherapy. In addition, with the advancement of radiation therapy, carbon-ion radiotherapy has been proved to be safe and efficacious in the treatment of intraocular tumors.Carbon-ion radiotherapy can be applied to choroidal melanoma with sufficient antitumor effect, especially tumors of unfavorable size or site. Taipei Veterans General Hospital provides state-of-the-art cancer treatment, in the hope to combat intraocular tumors and help patients see the future.
Procedure
Surgery:
Resection: remove the tumor and a small amount of healthy tissue around it.
Enucleation: Surgery to remove the eye and part of the optic nerve.
Exenteration: Surgery to remove the eye and eyelid, and all content in eye socket.
Radiation therapy:
Radiation therapy uses high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells or keep them from growing. Treatment options include gamma knife therapy, carbon-ion radiotherapy (Heavy Ion Radiotherapy), and so on.
Photocoagulation:
Photocoagulation uses laser light to destroy blood vessels that bring nutrients to the tumor, causing the tumor cells to die.
Cryotherapy:
The therapy uses cold temperatures to destroy cancer cells and shrink the tumor.
Notification
Potential risk and complications after the treatment include:
・Wound pain and swollen eyes.
・Wound infection and possibility of endophthalmitis.
・Increasing pressure within the eye (glaucoma).
・Retinal detachment.
・Cataract formation.
・Vision loss and optic nerve atrophy.
・Eye tumor that spreads beyond the eye.
Estimated Cost
For estimated medical costs, please contact International Medical Services Center.