Chang Gung Hospital uses proton therapy to treat eye cancer

A 40-year-old pastry chef from Hong Kong successfully preserved his vision after traveling to Taiwan for proton therapy to treat uveal melanoma. The patient initially believed a dark mass discovered during a diabetes eye exam was a benign intraocular nevus. However, follow-up examinations a year later revealed the mass had grown and caused subretinal fluid, leading to a diagnosis of malignant melanoma.

Medical experts at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital noted that while intraocular melanoma is rare in Asia—with only 5 to 15 new cases annually in Taiwan—Asian patients often present with larger tumors and at a younger age than Western patients. Historically, treatment often required enucleation (removal of the eyeball), but advanced proton therapy allows for precise radiation that targets the tumor while minimizing damage to surrounding tissues like the optic nerve and macula.

The patient underwent a five-day proton therapy course, maintaining a visual acuity of 0.7. Doctors emphasized the importance of regular dilated eye examinations, especially for those with myopia, to detect such abnormalities early, as symptoms like floaters or blurred vision can be non-specific.