Ocular Oncology Clinical Programs

​​​Our service has the infrastructure to accommodate ophthalmic tumour patients referred provincially, nationally, and internationally. The service provides investigations, diagnosis, and treatment of all ophthalmic tumours within one centre.

The ocular oncology clinic is fully equipped with state-of-the-art imaging equipment for use in the following diagnostic techniques:

  • Digital External and Ocular Fundus Photography
  • Wide-angle Fundus Photography and Angiography
  • Ocular Ultrasonography and Ultrasound Biomicroscopy
  • Optical Coherence Tomography

Our staff are highly skilled, with many years of proficiency in their field. Aided by access to cutting-edge technology, our staff provide our patients with world-class care. Our unique multidisciplinary treatment approach could employ variable combinations of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and other treatment options. These options can all be offered in one venue to provide the best treatment outcomes for our ophthalmic tumour patients.​

On This Page

Ocular Brachytherapy

It is the surgical application of a radioactive source (plaque) directly on the eye wall to treat ocular cancers. This is the primary treatment for most intraocular and some extraocular cancers around the world. Our service is the leading centre in Canada with over 30 years experience in using brachytherapy for treating eye tumours. This procedure involves the collaboration of a host of staff from radiation medicine, radiation physics, and radiation oncology in the process of producing a radioactive plaque that is custom-made to fit the size and location of a given tumour. The radioactive plaque is implanted on the eye by the ocular oncologists for a specified period of time to deliver an accurately calculated radiation dose to control the ophthalmic tumour. Ocular Brachytherapy provides excellent tumour control rates with the least radiation-related ocular morbidity in comparison to other radiotherapeutic approaches in treatment of ocular malignancy.

Ocular Lasers and Cryotherapy

Different types of ocular lasers are available in our service to treat intraocular cancers. Diode Laser Thermotherapy, Argon laser photocoagulation, and photodynamic therapy are applied as a primary or adjuvant treatment, as indicated, for a variety of intraocular tumours

Cryotherapy is available as one of the treatment tools for several ocular surface cancers.

Orthovoltage Radiotherapy

This form of radiotherapy is most suitable for small superficial cancers such as eyelid and other cutaneous cancers. Our centre has over 20 years of expertise in using this technique.

Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Ocular Cancers

This external beam irradiation technique is utilized in treatment of particular ocular cancers with specific location and/or dimensions that are not suitable to treat with Brachytherapy. Stereotactic Radiotherapy integrates volumetric modulated arc therapy so that treatment sessions are delivered in shorter time. This means an improved patient experience and improved patient outcomes because of improved target uniformity and normal tissue sparing.

Surgical Biopsy for Diagnostic Histopathology, Cytopathology, and Molecular Genomics

Various surgical approaches are utilized at our centre to completely excise tumours or obtain tissue from extraocular, intraocular, and orbital tumours, for ultimate diagnosis. Our team has the surgical expertise in obtaining and handling tissue samples from various ophthalmic tumours, whenever indicated. The results of tissue analysis are always reviewed with our supportive team of pathologists for each individual patient.

In the current era of personalized cancer medicine, Genetic Testing has been recently introduced through cytogenetics and molecular genomics techniques in the care of our ocular cancer patients. Testing for gene mutations and chromosomal anomalies is now available in our centre for a variety of extraocular and intraocular cancers.

Genetic testing provides evidence-based counselling for eye cancer patients with regards to their disease prospects. Testing results can alter the post-treatment course by assessing some cancers liability to adjuvant therapy to improve treatment outcome, and can modify the metastatic surveillance scheme for some patients.

A surveillance protocol for early detection of systemic metastasis has been established in collaboration with the medical oncology staff of our service to categorize ocular cancer patients according to their clinical and genetic risk to develop metastasis. 

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https://www.uhn.ca/PrincessMargaret/Education/Continuing_Education_Programs/Pages/continuing_education_programs.aspx
Last reviewed: 6/8/2023
Last modified: 10/3/2023 11:41 AM
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