A Mom's Uveal Melanoma Diagnosis
- A mom in the UK was diagnosed with uveal melanoma after experiencing flickering in her eye.
- Uveal melanoma is a disease that forms in the tissue of the eye, and unlike melanoma of the skin, it's not caused by UV rays. In fact, researchers are still trying to find out what causes uveal melanoma.
- The mom treated her cancer with surgery and immunotherapy.
This mom who had a “heart of gold” was diagnosed after an unusual cancer symptom. Procter’s story highlights this disease and what it looks like.
Leigh’s Melanoma Journey
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For Procter, she had to have one of her eyes removed. Her sister Claire remembers how, “When she first found out she was diagnosed she found it quite hard and was scared, but we all tried to be positive for her.” Claire describes how “She had the flickering in her eye, so her husband took her to Moorfields hospital in London.”
Her sister continues, “There, they told her that she had a detached retina. The next day the doctors told Leigh that she had a tumor attached to her eye, and because she went through private healthcare she was able to go in within a few days and get her eye removed.”
Procter’s family also funded a three-month immunotherapy program in Mexico where she sought treatment.
Leight passed away at age 43 in 2019 after battling the disease for four years.
Understanding Uveal Melanoma
When we think of skin cancer, we immediately and understandably assume it's only a disease that affects our skin. However, it turns out that's not the case. Uveal melanoma is a disease that forms in the tissue of the eye, and unlike melanoma of the skin, it's not caused by UV rays. In fact, researchers are still trying to find out what causes uveal melanoma.
Since the cause of this disease has yet to be determined, it's even more important that everyone get their eyes checked regularly. "Everyone should get dilated every year," Dr. Sapna Patel, a melanoma oncologist at MD Anderson Cancer Center, tells SurvivorNet in an earlier interview. "Even if you don't need corrective lenses or glasses, contact lenses … it's still important to have your eyes dilated and examined for physical changes such as melanoma or moles in the eye."
There are factors that put certain groups of people at risk. According to Dr. Patel, Uveal melanoma is found in caucasians with hazel, green, or blue eyes more than people with brown eyes. However, no matter your eye color, it's still important to be proactive and get yourself checked regularly.
Dr. Sapna Patel defines uveal melanoma, a skin cancer of the eye
Checking Your Skin
There's a few things to remember when trying to prevent skin cancer. One, it's still important to protect your skin during the winter months, and two, suspicious moles can present themselves in unassuming areas. By finding caner in the earlier stages, it's usually very treatable through surgery. This means checking your body for spots and blemishes thoroughly can be the difference between an early stage version of the disease or a late stage.
When checking your skin, use the ABCDE method:
- Asymmetrical moles: see if the sides of the mole match each other.
- Borders: examine if the edges of the mole are jagged or irregular.
- Colors: does the mole display different tones of color?
- Diameter: check if the mole is larger than 6mm (roughly the size of a pencil head eraser)
- Evolution: the most important part of the process. Pay attention to if the mole changes over time; in color, size, or starts to feel painful or itchy.
Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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