A New Hope for Eye Cancer Treatment

A new method of treating a type of eye cancer is being tested. This cancer is called choroidal malignant melanoma. It grows in the eye's choroid layer. The treatment uses carbon-ion radiotherapy with a rotating beam. This approach was started in March 2018 at a hospital in Japan. The goal was to see if this method is safe and effective. The team looked for patients who had this type of eye cancer. They needed to be able to see the tumor with imaging tests. Patients also had to be in good enough health to handle the treatment. They had to be able to give their consent for the treatment. All patients received the same dose of carbon-ion radiotherapy. This was given in four sessions using the rotating beam. Between April 2018 and July 2019, 21 patients were treated. All of them finished the treatment and the 3-year follow-up. The average follow-up time was about 43 months. Most patients did not have serious side effects. Three patients developed a condition called neovascular glaucoma. This is a type of eye pressure problem. No other serious side effects were seen. During the 3-year study, all patients were still alive. None of the cancers came back in the eye. No patients needed to have their eye removed. Three patients had cancer spread to the liver. The results showed that this new method worked as well as older methods. The new method also kept the eye safe. The number of patients was small, so more testing is needed. This new method could be a big step forward in treating this type of eye cancer. It shows promise for keeping the eye safe while fighting the cancer. More research is needed to confirm these results. This could lead to better treatments for eye cancer in the future.