Referral to a specialist for symptoms of eye cancer

Your GP or optometrist should arrange for you to see a specialist if you have symptoms that could be due to eye cancer. Depending on your symptoms and other factors, this might be an urgent suspected cancer referral.

You will see a specialist as soon as possible. Ask your GP or optometrist when this is likely to be.

Seeing your GP

It can be hard for GPs to decide who may have cancer and who might have a more minor condition. For some symptoms, your doctor may ask you to wait to see if the symptoms get better or respond to treatment, such as antibiotics.

UK referral guidelines

There are no specific referral guidelines for the different types of eye cancer in the UK. But there are two different sets of guidelines that help doctors manage someone with eye cancer in the best possible way. The guidelines are:

• The Royal College of Ophthalmologists Referral Pathways for Ocular Tumours
• The Uveal Melanoma - full guideline

The guidelines say you should be referred in the same way as for any other suspected cancer if you have symptoms that might be due to eye cancer. This means seeing a specialist as soon as possible.

Depending on your symptoms and the results of an eye examination, your doctor or optometrist might refer you to a specialist. This is usually an ophthalmologist. If they think you might have eye cancer, they will refer you to a specialist eye cancer centre.

Guidelines for urgent referral for retinoblastoma

There are referral guidelines for GPs for a rare type of children’s eye cancer called retinoblastoma. These vary between the different UK nations. Your child’s GP will use these guidelines as well as their own experience and judgement.

Other symptoms

Your GP will consider any other symptoms you have, so do mention these.

Risk factors

Your GP might also take into account whether you have any risk factors that affect your chances of developing eye cancer.

If you're still worried

Sometimes you might feel that your GP is not concerned enough about your symptoms. If you think they should be more concerned, print this page and the symptoms page. Ask your GP to explain why they don’t think you need a referral.

Contact your GP again if your symptoms don't get better or you notice any new or unusual symptoms.

What should you do if you don’t get an appointment?

If your GP has referred you to a specialist, ask them when you should get your appointment. Contact them again if you don’t get one. Or some hospitals have a referral service you could try contacting if you know which hospital you are going to. Explain that you are waiting for an urgent suspected cancer referral.

Waiting times

Your hospital is working towards waiting time targets. For example, a target to find out whether you have cancer or not. And there are targets to start treatment if you are diagnosed with cancer. These are slightly different depending on where you live in the UK.