I Thought the Eye Spot Was a Freckle; It Turned Out to Be a Rare Form of Cancer

A spot prompts closer testing

The writer describes turning 50 in a happy period of life, with a new home in a small New England town, a growing freelance writing career, a partner and a Mini Rex rabbit. Despite feeling well, an eye exam led to further testing of a spot on the eye.

The writer had no pain or flashes of light and was not initially worried. A surgeon used numbing drops and took a small tissue sample; the eye felt scratchy for a day or two afterward.

Choosing specialist care

The writer first felt annoyed at the prospect of more appointments, but became more worried after hearing about an acquaintance with a different eye cancer. The surgeon said the condition was treatable, and the writer wanted prompt surgery to prevent it from spreading.

Although the original surgeon had a reassuring manner, the writer’s partner and close friends encouraged a specialist consultation. A cornea specialist took charge of care two weeks later.

Before surgery, the specialist prescribed chemotherapy eye drops to help keep the cancer from growing and potentially address spread that could not be seen. She warned that the treatment carried a relatively high risk of worsening vision in that eye.

Surgery and recovery

The surgeon removed the tumor and a second discolored area for testing, along with normal-looking tissue to check for invisible spread. The doctors used cryotherapy around the sites to freeze any cancer they could not see, then applied corneal grafts to reduce scarring as the eye healed.

The procedure was over by lunchtime, and the writer left with an eye shield and no pain while anesthesia was still working. After the shield came off, the eye’s surface wounds were sensitive, and vision was poor; ointment, tearing and soreness added to the discomfort.

After healing, only a tiny scar remained near the tear duct. The writer completed a third round of chemotherapy, and vision was no worse than before treatment, though it had never been perfect.

A reminder about eye exams

The writer says the cancer is rare but potentially deadly, with about 25 percent of cases leading to death. The writer was glad to have delayed searching online until beginning to write about the experience.

The account ends with a recommendation to get regular eye exams, even without a need for glasses. The writer says they feel fortunate to have received good care and that their eyes held up through treatment. The article also notes that uveal melanoma, which affects the eye’s middle layer, is among the most common eye cancers in adults; the final sentence about its treatment is cut off.