Eye cancer is rare. There are a number of different cancers that can affect the eye. Eye (ocular) melanoma is the most common. Melanoma is a cancer that develops from cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes give our skin its colour. Melanoma usually develops in the skin. But because there are melanocytes in different parts of the body, it can start in other places, such as the eye.

Eye cancer does not always cause obvious symptoms and may only be picked up during a routine eye test. Symptoms of eye cancer can include:
1) shadows, flashes of light, or wiggly lines in your vision
2) blurred vision
3) a dark patch in your eye that's getting bigger
4) partial or total loss of vision
5) bulging of 1 eye
6) a lump on your eyelid or in your eye that's increasing in size
7) pain in or around your eye, although this is rare
These symptoms can also be caused by more minor eye conditions, so they're not necessarily a sign of cancer. But it's important to get the symptoms checked by a doctor as soon as possible.

Eye melanoma occurs when the pigment-producing cells in the eyes divide and multiply too rapidly. This produces a lump of tissue known as a tumour. It's not clear exactly why this occurs, but the following factors may increase the risk of it happening:
1) lighter eye colour, if you have blue, grey or green eyes, you have a higher risk of developing eye melanoma compared with people who have brown eyes
2) white or pale skin, eye melanoma mostly affects white people and is more common in those with fair skin
3) unusual moles if you have irregularly shaped or unusually coloured moles, you're more at risk of developing skin cancer and eye melanoma
4) use of sunbeds there's some evidence to suggest that exposing yourself to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunbeds, for example, can increase your risk of eye melanoma
5) overexposure to sunlight – this increases your risk of skin cancer, and may also be a risk factor for eye melanoma
The risk of developing eye melanoma also increases with age, with most cases being diagnosed in people in their 50s.

These two types of eye melanoma:
1) Uveal melanoma
Most eye melanomas start in an area of the eye called the uvea. This is called uveal melanoma. It is the most common type of cancer to affect the eye, although it is still quite rare.
2) conjunctival melanoma
Very rarely, melanoma starts in the conjunctiva, which is the outer lining of the eye. This is called conjunctival melanoma.

If they suspect you have melanoma of the eye, they'll refer you to a specialist centre for eye cancer. It's likely you'll have a number of different tests at the centre, including:
1) an eye examination, to look at the structures of your eyes in more detail and check for abnormalities
2) an ultrasound scan of your eye, a small probe placed over your closed eye uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the inside of your eye; this allows your doctor to find out more about the position of the tumour and its size
3) a fluorescein angiogram, where photographs of the suspected cancer are taken using a special camera after dye has been injected into your bloodstream to highlight the tumour Occasionally, a thin needle may be used to remove a small sample of cells from the tumour (biopsy).

Treatment for eye melanoma may include:
1) Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays to destroy the cancer cells, while doing as little harm as possible to normal cells.
2) Surgery
Surgery for ocular melanoma may involve removing just the tumour, a small part of the eye, or sometimes the whole eye. The type of surgery you have depends on the size and position of the tumou
3) Transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT)
Rarely, this can be used to treat very small uveal melanomas, or after radiotherapy to reduce the risk of the cancer coming back. The doctor gives you a local anaesthetic, then uses a type of laser to destroy the cancer cells by heating them.
4) Cryotherapy
This can be given after surgery to reduce the risk of conjunctival melanoma coming back. The doctor freezes the area to kill any cancer cells that may have been left behind after surgery. You may have a local or a general anaesthetic for this treatment.
5) Chemotherapy eye drops
Sometimes you are given chemotherapy eye drops after cryotherapy for conjunctival melanoma. Your doctor will explain how to use the eye drops.
6) Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
PDT may sometimes be used to treat some uveal melanomas. This treatment uses a laser, or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive drug to destroy cancer cells. The doctor gives you the drug as an injection into your vein. This makes cells in your body more sensitive to light. The doctor then directs a light at the eye tumour. This activates the drug and the cancer cells are destroyed. This treatment is painless, but you will be sensitive to light for several days after treatment. PDT is not widely available and may only be used as part of a clinical trial.

The 5-year survival rate for people with eye cancer is 80%. If the cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, the 5-year survival rate is 85%. About 73% of people are diagnosed at this stage. However, survival rates depend on the size and location of the tumor and the type of cancer diagnosed.

Cancer is a life threatening disease that can affect anyone regardless of race, age, and gender. Traditional cancer treatments like radiotherapy and chemotherapy often result in undesirable and uncomfortable side effects such as vomiting, numbness, nausea, and diarrhea to name a few. Herbal medicine is a complementary therapy that some people with cancer use to ease cancer symptoms. Herbal remedies for cancer such as those commonly found in traditional medicine contains antimutagenic, anti-inflammatory, and apoptosis inducing compounds that help in slowing the development of cancer and relieve treatment side effects for patients.

Herbal medicine has a wide variety of applications but all of them rely on the sustainable use of various plant parts such as flowers, leaves, bark, and roots. Each part of a plant features different medicinal properties and uses. Although herbal medicine has countless use cases, cancer care is one of the most practical applications because of how harsh traditional oncology treatments can be on patients.

Herbal remedies are a part of a growing field of medicine called integrative oncology. Research conducted on the use of herbal medicine for cancer complementary therapy has proven herbs can:
• Slows the spread of cancer
• Reduces the side effects of cancer treatment
• Boosts immune system strength and functionality
• Minimizes the symptoms of cancer
• Attacks cancer cells

Several herbs may help control the side effects of conventional cancer treatment. However, doctors do not recommend that cancer patients take herbal medicine while undergoing normal traditional cancer treatment. Herbal medicines may be likely less to cause side effects than traditional drugs. But patients may can still experience complications. Some herbs may can cause negative interactions with chemotherapy drugs. Closely monitor how you feel before and after taking herbal remedies. Patients should always consult with their doctor before trying herbs as a complementary therapy or the supplements to avoid complications.