Eye cancer
Doctors usually work out the outlook for a certain disease by looking at large groups of people. Because this cancer is less common, survival is harder to estimate than for other, more common cancers.
Some of the statistics have to be based on a small number of people. Remember, they can't tell you what will happen in your individual case.
The terms 1 year survival and 5 year survival don't mean that you will only live for 1 or 5 years.
The NHS, other health organisations, and researchers collect information. They record what happens to people with cancer in the years after their diagnosis. 5 years is a common time point to measure survival. But some people live much longer than this.
5 year survival is the number of people who have not died from their cancer within 5 years after diagnosis.
There are no UK-wide statistics available for different types and stages of eye cancer. The type of cancer refers to the type of cell that it starts in. The stage of eye cancer depends on how big the cancer is and if it has spread.
Read more about the stages and types of eye cancer
Eye cancer is rare and so the figures available are for all eye cancers in England.
Generally for people with eye cancer in England:
around 95 out of 100 (around 95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
80 out of 100 (80%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
The statistics below are for eye cancers diagnosed in England. They are from the Get Data Out programme from the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS). These are the most recent statistics we have that include 1 and 5-year survival.
There are different types of eye cancer. Your outlook depends on which type you have. If you want to know more about your specific type of eye cancer, talk to your specialist.
Generally for people with conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma in England:
95 out of 100 (95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
no information is available for 5 year survival
Generally for people with conjunctival melanoma in England:
almost all survive their cancer for 1 year or more
around 90 out of 100 (around 90%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
Generally for people with uveal melanoma in England:
around 95 out of 100 (around 95%) survive their cancer for 1 year or more
almost 80 out of 100 (almost 80%) survive their cancer for 5 years or more
Your outlook depends on the stage of the cancer when it was diagnosed. This means how big it is and whether it has spread.
The type of cancer can also affect your survival.
Sometimes doctors can test for changes in the chromosomes of an eye melanoma that give an idea about how the cancer will behave and how likely it is to spread.
Your general health and fitness also affect survival. The fitter you are, the better you may be able to cope with your cancer and treatment.
For more in-depth information about survival and eye cancer, go to our Cancer Statistics section.
Last reviewed: 20 Nov 2024
Next review due: 20 Nov 2027
Eye cancer symptoms are not always obvious. It might be picked up during a routine eye test.
We don't know what causes most eye cancers. But there are some factors that can increase your risk of developing it.
The stage of eye cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. The type tells you which type of cell the cancer started in.
Your GP or optometrist will ask you about your symptoms, and they might examine you. They may arrange tests or a referral to a specialist.
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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