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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for primary melanoma of the eye include:
- Light eye color. People with blue eyes or green eyes have a greater risk of melanoma of the eye.
- Being white. White people have a greater risk of eye melanoma than do people of other races.
- Increasing age. The risk of eye melanoma increases with age.
- Certain inherited skin disorders. A condition called dysplastic nevus syndrome, which causes abnormal moles, may also increase your risk of developing melanoma on your skin and in your eye. In addition, people with abnormal skin pigmentation involving the eyelids and adjacent tissues and increased pigmentation on their uvea — known as oculodermal melanocytosis — also have an increased risk of developing eye melanoma.
- Sun exposure. Some research suggests that people who repeatedly spend long hours in the sun may have an increased risk of eye melanoma compared with those who limit their sun exposure. But some studies haven't found a link between sun exposure and eye melanoma.
References
- Augsburger JJ, et al. Uveal melanoma. In: Yanoff M, et al. Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/199400089-5/0/1869/0.html. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Intraocular (eye) melanoma treatment. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/intraocularmelanoma/patient/allpages. Accessed May 4, 2010.
- Simar K. The fundamentals of uveal melanoma. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. 2009;13:483.
- Shields CL, et al. Ocular melanoma: Relatively rare but requiring respect. Clinics in Dermatology. 2009;27:122.
- Gragoudas ES, et al. Ocular melanoma. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Surgical procedures. American Society of Ocularists. http://www.ocularist.org/resources_surgical_procedures.asp. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Ihrig C, et al. Acquired monocular vision rehabilitation program. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development. 2007;44:593.
- Occupational therapy services for individuals with visual impairment. American Occupational Therapy Association. http://www.aota.org/Practitioners/PracticeAreas/Rehab/Tools/38508.aspx. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Shopping guide for sunglasses. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/documents/SunglassShoppingGuide0810.pdf. Accessed May 6, 2010.
- Roberston DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 22, 2010.
- How is eye cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_how_is_eye_cancer_diagnosed_74.asp. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Surgery. American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_4X_Surgery_74.asp?rnav=cri. Accessed May 24, 2010.
- Damato B, et al. Surgical resection of uveal melanoma. In: Albert DM, et al. Albert & Jakobiec's Principles and Practice of Ophthalmology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier;2008:4913.
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