Key Statistics for Eye Cancer

The American Cancer Society’s estimates for primary eye cancer (cancer that starts in the eye) in the United States for 2025 are:

• About 3,140 new cancers (mainly melanomas) of the eye and orbit (eye socket) (1,620 in males and 1,520 in females)
• About 490 deaths from cancers of the eye and orbit (270 in males and 220 in females)

Primary eye cancers can occur at any age, but some types are more likely during childhood, while others are more common in adults.

• Retinoblastomas and medulloepitheliomas usually develop in young children, but the risk for most other types of eye cancer increases as people get older.
• Melanoma is the most common cancer of the eye and orbit in adults, but most melanomas (more than 9 out of 10) start in the skin. Melanoma of the eye is much more common in White people than in Black people.

Secondary eye cancers (cancers that start in another part of the body and then spread to the eye) are actually more common than primary eye cancers.

For statistics on survival, see Eye Cancer Survival Rates.

Visit the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Statistics Center for more key statistics.