Getting Diagnosed With Eye Cancer
You usually have a number of tests to diagnose eye cancer. Eye cancer is also called ocular cancer. This is because ocular is the medical name for the eye.
The tests you might have to diagnose eye cancer include:
an eye examination, including an examination of the back of the eye (fundoscopy)
an ultrasound scan
a test to look at the blood vessels in your eye. This is a fluorescein angiogram
a photograph of the back of the eye (Optical Coherence Tomography)
scans, including an MRI scan or PET-CT scan
Most people with eye cancer are diagnosed after having a routine eye test done by an optometrist.
An optometrist is a healthcare professional trained to examine eyes. They can identify conditions that affect the eye and refer you to a doctor who specialises in treating eye problems. This is an ophthalmologist.
Some people may also see their GP if they have symptoms that could be due to eye cancer.
Find out about the symptoms of eye cancer
If you see your GP, they may examine your eye using a handheld device called an ophthalmoscope. This shines a light into the back of your eye.
After your examination, your GP may refer you to a specialist. This is usually an ophthalmologist or a specialist eye cancer doctor (an ocular oncologist).
Your specialist usually does more tests. These might include:
an eye examination, including an examination of the back of the eye (fundoscopy)
an ultrasound scan of the eye
a fluorescein angiogram
a sample of tissue from the eye called a biopsy
blood tests
an Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
an MRI scan of the head and eye socket
An eye examination includes an inspection of the outer eye and looking at the back of the eye (fundoscopy). Your specialist may use different instruments to look at the back of your eye. These include:
an ophthalmoscope
a slit lamp
Before having an eye examination, you may have eye drops that enlarge the pupils. This makes it easier for the specialist to look in your eyes.
Read more about having an eye examination
An ultrasound scan uses high frequency sound waves to create a picture of a part of the body. You usually have them in the hospital imaging department.
An eye ultrasound scan uses a small instrument called a probe. Your doctor or other trained healthcare professional puts a clear gel over your closed eyelids and moves the probe gently over them.
Sometimes, your doctor puts the probe directly over the surface of your eyes (the conjunctiva). For this, you usually have drops put into your eyes. The drops can sting a bit, so you may have some discomfort for a few minutes.
The anaesthetic drops can cause blurred vision for a few hours, so you shouldn’t drive after having this test.
Find out more about having an ultrasound scan
A fluorescein angiogram is a test to look at the blood vessels in your eye.
Your doctor puts a yellow coloured dye called fluorescein into a vein in your arm or hand. The dye travels through your bloodstream to the blood vessels in your eyes. Your doctor then takes pictures of your eyes as the dye passes through.
Your doctor may also take photos of the surface of the inside of your eye (the fundus) at the same time. This is called colour fundus photography.
Read more about having a fluorescein angiogram of the eye
You may have a sample of tissue or fluid taken from your eye. This is a biopsy. Your doctor sends this sample to the laboratory where a specialist doctor called a pathologist looks at it under a microscope.
You usually have a biopsy of your eye in the operating theatre. You may have a local or general anaesthetic. A general anaesthetic means that you are asleep and won’t feel anything.
To have the biopsy, your doctor puts a thin needle attached to a syringe into your eye. They then draw out some cells.
Find out more about having an eye biopsy
Blood tests can check your general health including:
how well your liver and kidneys are working
the number of blood cells in your blood such as , and . You may hear this being called a full blood count
if you have any signs of infection
An Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) eye test uses light waves to create a detailed, three dimensional (3D) image of the:
back of the eye (retina)
eye (optic) nerve
An OCT is a quick and painless procedure. It is like having a photograph taken.
Depending on your situation, you might have other scans such as an MRI scan or a CT scan. These scans help your doctor find out whether the cancer has spread:
outside of the eye (eye socket)
to nearby lymph nodes
the head
elsewhere in the body
Read more about having an MRI or CT scan
You might have other tests depending on the type of eye cancer your doctor thinks you have. There are different types of eye cancer. This includes:
lymphoma of the eye (ocular lymphoma)
melanoma of the eye (uveal melanoma)
Find out about the types of eye cancer
Eye lymphomas can be difficult to diagnose. Apart from the above tests, you might have other tests if your doctor thinks that you have lymphoma of the eye.
A PET-CT scan combines a CT scan and a PET scan. It gives detailed information about your cancer. You have a PET-CT scan in the radiology department. It usually takes between 30 and 60 minutes.
A PET-CT scan can check whether there are any cancer cells in the close to the eye or elsewhere in your body.
Read more about having a PET-CT scan
A lumbar puncture is a test to check the fluid that circulates around the brain and . This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid or CSF.
Your doctor puts a thin needle into your back. They then take a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid. You usually have this test in the outpatient department under local anaesthetic.
Find out more about having a lumbar puncture
You may have a bone marrow test to check whether the lymphoma has spread to your bone marrow. The bone marrow is the spongy tissue inside your bones that makes blood cells.
A doctor or specialist nurse removes a sample of bone marrow cells to look at under a microscope. This is usually from the hip.
Read more about having a bone marrow test
You might have other tests if your doctor thinks that you have melanoma of the eye.
Melanoma of the eye can spread to the liver. So you might have an ultrasound scan of the liver to check for any cancer spread.
If you are diagnosed with eye melanoma, your doctor may ask a pathologist to test the cancer cells for changes in the . This is called cytogenetic testing. To do this test, you have a sample of tissue taken from your eye (biopsy). The biopsy gives your specialist information about the genetics ( of your cancer). This helps with the:
staging of your cancer
chances of your cancer coming back or spreading (the outcome)
Having this information can help your doctor plan your treatment and follow up.
Find out more about genetic testing for eye cancer
You might have a blood test to test for human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02:01. The HLA-A*02:01 antigen is a protein on the surface of most body cells and some cancer cells, such as some melanoma cells. Testing positive means you may be able to have specific drug treatment.
Read about tests and scans to diagnose cancer
The tests you have help your doctor find out if you have eye cancer and how far it has grown. This is the stage of the cancer.
Read about the stages of eye cancer
This is important because doctors recommend your treatment according to the stage of the cancer.
Find out about the treatment options for eye cancer
Coping with a diagnosis of eye cancer can be difficult. There is help and support for you and your family.
Read about what you can do to cope with a diagnosis of eye cancer
Last reviewed: 12 Feb 2024
Next review due: 12 Feb 2027
Eye cancer includes different types of cancer. The type of cancer you have depends on the type of cell it starts in.
Eye cancer symptoms are not always obvious. It is most likely to be picked up during a routine eye test.
An eye examination is a test where the specialist eye doctor (ophthalmologist) examines your eyes. They use a few different instruments to look at the eye internally and externally.
A biopsy of the eye is a test where your eye specialist (ophthalmologist) takes a sample (biopsy) of fluid or tissue from your eye.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of eye cancer you have, how big it is and whether it has spread (the stage). It also depends on your general health.
Eye cancer includes different types of cancer. The type of eye cancer you have depends on the type of cell it starts in. There are different parts of the eye, and some of these are more likely to get cancer than others.
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