Can Eye Cancer Be Prevented?
While there are some known risk factors for eye cancer (especially melanoma of the eye, or intraocular melanoma), most of these factors are not things that can be changed, so it¡¯s not clear if there are ways to prevent or lower your risk of eye cancer.
We know there is a link between sunlight and melanomas of the skin, and there are things you can do that might reduce your risk of these cancers, including limiting your exposure to intense sunlight, covering up with protective hats and clothing, and using sunscreen. Learn more in How to Protect Your Skin from UV Rays.
The ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ also recommends wearing UV-protected sunglasses when outside in strong sunlight. Wrap-around sunglasses with 99% to 100% UVA and UVB absorption provide the best protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin. This might help reduce the risk of developing cancers of the skin around the eyes.
The link between sunlight and eye melanomas is not proven, and if there is an increased risk it is likely to be small. Still, some doctors think that sunglasses might also help reduce eye melanoma risk.
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- References
Developed by the ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
Dhomen N, Mundra PA, Marais R. Sunglasses to hide behind may also prevent melanoma of the eyes. Br J Cancer. 2021: 125, 470¨C472.
Grisanti S, Tura A. Uveal Melanoma. In Scott JF, Gerstenblith MR, eds. Noncutaneous Melanoma [Internet]. Brisbane (AU): Codon Publications; 2018. Accessed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK506988/ on April 8, 2025.
Harbour JW, Shih HA. Initial management of uveal and conjunctival melanomas. UpToDate. 2025. Accessed at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/initial-management-of-uveal-and-conjunctival-melanomas on April 8, 2025.
Houghton O, Gordon K. Chapter 64: Ocular Tumors. In: Niederhuber JE, Armitage JO, Doroshow JH, Kastan MB, Tepper JE, eds. Abeloff¡¯s Clinical Oncology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa. Elsevier: 2020.
Last Revised: May 5, 2025
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