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A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting
a disease such as cancer. Different cancers have different risk
factors. For example, exposing the skin to strong sunlight is a risk
factor for skin cancer, and smoking is a risk factor for cancers of the
lung, larynx (voice box), mouth, throat, esophagus (food tube),
kidneys, bladder, and several other organs.
But risk factors don't tell us everything. Having a known risk
factor, or even several risk factors, does not mean that you will get
the disease. And many people who get the disease may not have had any
known risk factors.
Risk factors for primary intraocular
melanoma
Race/ethnicity/eye
color: The risk of intraocular melanoma is much higher in
whites than in African Americans or Asian Americans. Most studies have
also found that people with blue eyes are also somewhat more likely to
develop melanoma of the eye than are people with brown eyes.
Certain
inherited conditions: Dysplastic
nevus syndrome, in which people have abnormal moles of the
skin and an increased risk of skin melanoma, may also increase the risk
for developing melanoma of the eye. People with abnormal brown spots of
their uvea known as oculodermal
melanocytosis or nevus
of Ota also have an increased risk of developing eye
melanoma. Eye melanomas can run in some families who do not have these
conditions, but this is very rare.
Sun exposure:
Although too much exposure to sunlight has been proposed as a possible
risk factor for melanoma of the eye, it has never been proven. There
has also been a suggestion that sunlamp exposure may be a risk factor.
Certain
occupations: Some studies have suggested that welders,
farmers, fishermen, chemical workers, and laundry workers may have a
higher risk of eye melanoma, but none of these links have been proven
conclusively.
Risk factors for primary intraocular
lymphoma
The only known risk factor for primary lymphoma of the eye is
having a weakened immune system. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) is a common cause of immune system problems. Also, people who
have had organ or tissue transplants must take drugs to prevent
rejection of their transplants. These drugs weaken their immune system
and increase their risk of developing lymphomas, including those
starting inside the eye.
Last Medical Review: 03/03/2009
Last Revised: 05/14/2009
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