10,000 Indians diagnosed with eye cancer each year

New Delhi : An estimated 10,000 new cases of eye cancer are diagnosed every year in the country, eye care expertsd and doctors said here Friday.

They were speaking at a two-day international conference on “Oculoplasty, Aesthetics, Ocular Oncology and Squint” organised by Delhi-based eye care chain Centre for Sight (CFS). It is being attended by 50 experts and 150 doctors from all over the country.

Dr. Santosh G. Honavar, director medical services at CFS, said about 10,000 people are diagnosed every year for eye-cancer. “India has a dubious distinction of being host to about 30 percent of total eye cancer patients in the world,” he said.

He said the eye tumour is an life-altering disease, which can potentially wipe out vision and also endanger the life of patient. “Every year thousands are diagnosed with some form of eye cancer. However, the country does not have enough trained ophthalmologists and opthalometrics and also lacks an organised approach to cost-effective and protocol-based management.”

“People are more aware about lung or skin or any other cancer but eye cancer usually gets neglected. There are a significant number of people that are diagnosed with this cancer. Our aim is to educate and update the practicing ophthalmologist about new advancements in the field” said Mahipal Sachdev, chairman and medical director, Centre for Sight.

The problems relating to vital structures around the eyes like eyelids or orbits, are often neglected or misdiagnosed, as treating the disease or deformities require doctors with super specialized training, he said.

Photo : Kozzi