When dealing with Chemotherapy eye cancer, the medical use of anti‑cancer drugs to shrink or eliminate malignant growths inside the eye. Also called ocular chemotherapy, it is a cornerstone for treating tumors like Retinoblastoma and Uveal melanoma. The approach often involves delivering medication via intravitreal injection, which lets high drug concentrations reach the tumor while limiting systemic exposure. Chemotherapy eye cancer can be combined with radiation therapy or enrolled in clinical trials to improve outcomes.
One of the first things patients hear is that chemotherapy for eye cancer isn’t the same as the chemo you get for a lung tumor. The eye is a tiny, delicate organ, so doctors use smaller doses and often inject the drug directly into the vitreous humor – that’s the gel‑like substance that fills most of the eye. This direct route lowers the risk of nausea, hair loss, or other whole‑body side effects you might associate with traditional chemo. However, it does bring eye‑specific concerns: temporary inflammation, changes in vision, or a slight risk of infection at the injection site. Doctors monitor these effects with regular eye exams, OCT scans, and sometimes ultrasound, adjusting the regimen if needed. For kids with retinoblastoma, the goal is nerve‑sparing – keep the eye and potential vision intact while eradicating the tumor. In adults with uveal melanoma, chemotherapy may be used when the tumor is too large for laser or radiation alone, or when it has spread to surrounding tissue. The choice of drug – melphalan, topotecan, or carboplatin – depends on tumor size, location, and whether radiation is part of the plan. Radiation therapy, whether plaque brachytherapy or proton beam, often follows chemo to seal any remaining cancer cells, creating a synergistic effect that boosts long‑term survival.
Before your first intravitreal injection, the ophthalmologist will explain the procedure step by step. You’ll receive a local anesthetic, the doctor will clean the eye, and then a fine needle delivers the medication. The whole process takes less than ten minutes, and most patients feel only a brief pressure sensation. Afterward, you’ll use antibiotic drops for a few days to prevent infection. Recovery is quick – many people return to normal activities the same day, though they’ll be advised to avoid rubbing the eye and to keep the head elevated for a short period. Follow‑up visits are crucial; they let the care team track tumor shrinkage, check for side effects, and decide if another round of treatment is needed. In many cases, three to five injection cycles over several weeks can shrink the tumor enough for laser or cryotherapy to finish the job. When radiation therapy is added, the schedule may stretch a bit longer, but the combined approach often yields better control of the disease and can preserve vision.
Below you’ll find a curated list of articles that dig deeper into each of these topics – from drug selection and dosing strategies to real‑world patient experiences and the latest research on clinical trials. Whether you’re a patient, a family member, or a healthcare professional, the collection offers practical insight you can put to use right now.
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