What to expect from radiotherapy for eye melanoma

Some people receive plaque brachytherapy, in which a small radioactive plaque is placed against the outside of the eye during an operation and removed later. Others may have precisely directed radiation from outside the body. The eye team will use scans and measurements to locate the melanoma, protect the eyelids and plan around the optic nerve, lens and other sensitive tissues.

You may notice redness, watering, irritation or temporary eyelid swelling. Vision can become blurred, and changes may arise months or years later if the retina or optic nerve is affected. Your ophthalmology and oncology teams will arrange eye examinations to watch for these changes.

Follow instructions about eye drops, dressings and washing after treatment. Avoid rubbing the eye and protect it from dust, bright light and accidental knocks as advised. Arrange transport if vision is blurred or a procedure affects your sight. Keep follow-up visits even when the eye feels well, because some radiation effects are found during examination before you notice them.

Contact your eye team urgently for sudden or worsening loss of vision, severe eye pain, increasing redness, pus, new flashes or a curtain-like shadow. Seek emergency help for severe headache with vomiting, confusion, or weakness. Use the contact route provided by your hospital if symptoms begin outside clinic hours.

Ask which radiotherapy method is planned, whether an operation is needed, how the tumour’s location affects sight, and which eye drops or activity limits apply. Ask how often vision will be checked and whom to call about a sudden change.