Treatment & Diagnosis
Surgery is used to treat some intraocular melanomas but is generally not used to treat intraocular lymphoma. The type of surgery depends on the location and size of the tumor, and may include removal of part of the iris, the ciliary body, or the entire eyeball.
Radiation therapy is the use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors. It is a common treatment for intraocular melanoma. Radiation therapy may be delivered externally through a machine or internally through tiny radioactive seeds placed inside or near the tumor. It may be used instead of surgery, or after surgery to destroy any cancer cells that may remain in the area. Radiation therapy can often preserve some vision for eye cancer patients; its main advantage is that the eye structure is preserved.