Can their sight be restored?
Sep 20, 2010
CANCER can occur on any part of the body. Cancers are named according to the type of cells affected; cancer of the eye means cancer is coming from a cell of the eye.
By Gilbert Kidimu
CANCER can occur on any part of the body. Cancers are named according to the type of cells affected; cancer of the eye means cancer is coming from a cell of the eye.
Dr. Jackson Orem, the head of Cancer Institute, says it is not considered cancer of the eye when it spreads to the eye from another part of the body.
Cancers that develop in the tissues around the eye are cancers of the muscle, nerve and skin tissue. “It is most likely that these twins had retinal glaucoma cancer which arises from the retina,†says Dr Orem. He calls it childhood cancer.
“There are two forms; sporadic cancer occurring in individuals without a family history of cancer, while the other, familial cancer, occurs because of genetic abnormality,†reveals Dr Orem
Most likely it runs in the family or as a result of genetic abnormality. However, sporadic cancer cannot be passed on.
There are other cancers of the eye which affect adults, for example Melanoma where the lining of the eye is affected. Melanoma starting in the eyeball is the most common type of eye cancer in adults.
Dr Orem says for cases that have lasted long for example the twins; it is difficult to restore sight because of the large magnitude of the damage.
“When the retina is damaged; it becomes ineffective and the damage is irreversible. But if the damage is detected early; it can be treated and sight preserved- that is if the sight is not already lost.
CANCER can occur on any part of the body. Cancers are named according to the type of cells affected; cancer of the eye means cancer is coming from a cell of the eye.
Dr. Jackson Orem, the head of Cancer Institute, says it is not considered cancer of the eye when it spreads to the eye from another part of the body.
Cancers that develop in the tissues around the eye are cancers of the muscle, nerve and skin tissue. “It is most likely that these twins had retinal glaucoma cancer which arises from the retina,†says Dr Orem. He calls it childhood cancer.
“There are two forms; sporadic cancer occurring in individuals without a family history of cancer, while the other, familial cancer, occurs because of genetic abnormality,†reveals Dr Orem
Most likely it runs in the family or as a result of genetic abnormality. However, sporadic cancer cannot be passed on.
There are other cancers of the eye which affect adults, for example Melanoma where the lining of the eye is affected. Melanoma starting in the eyeball is the most common type of eye cancer in adults.
Dr Orem says for cases that have lasted long for example the twins; it is difficult to restore sight because of the large magnitude of the damage.
“When the retina is damaged; it becomes ineffective and the damage is irreversible. But if the damage is detected early; it can be treated and sight preserved- that is if the sight is not already lost.