What should you know about eye melanoma treatment?

Eye melanoma, also called ocular or uveal melanoma, may be managed by a team that includes an ophthalmologist, oncologist, and specialist eye surgeon. Treatment may aim to control the tumour while preserving the eye and as much useful vision as possible. Options can include plaque brachytherapy, which places a small radiation source near the tumour for a planned period, or external radiotherapy. Some tumours need surgery, including removal of part or all of the eye. The choice depends on whether the tumour is in the uvea, near the optic nerve or macula, and whether tests show spread beyond the eye.

Treatment can affect vision, eye pressure, the eyelids, or the surface of the eye. These effects may appear during treatment or later, so follow-up checks are part of care. A treatment plan may change if imaging or examination provides new information.

Take your eye specialist's appointment list, medication details, and questions about vision goals. Ask which treatment is proposed, why it fits the tumour's position, and how it will be delivered. Before radiation or surgery, discuss contact lenses, driving, work, and whether you need help getting home. Keep follow-up appointments even when the eye feels normal; examinations can check tumour control, vision, eye pressure, and the other eye. Report new vision changes rather than waiting for the next planned visit.

Contact your oncology or eye-care team promptly for sudden loss of vision, a curtain or shadow across your sight, severe eye pain, marked redness, new double vision, or swelling that is rapidly worsening. Seek emergency care for sudden severe headache with vision change, weakness, confusion, or vomiting. These symptoms can have causes unrelated to melanoma, but urgent assessment protects sight and helps identify complications early.

Which part of the eye contains the tumour, and what is the main aim of treatment? How might the proposed treatment affect central or peripheral vision? Will I need brachytherapy, radiotherapy, surgery, or more than one approach? What follow-up schedule will check the treated eye and my general health?