Surprising as it may seem, the training to become an eye cancer specialist is highly variable. The only common denominator is that we all attended ophthalmology residency after medical school. An ophthalmology residency is the 4 or 5 years of subspecialty training where a medical doctor learns diseases and surgery of the eye. Additional training beyond residency is called a "fellowship". There are no standard "ocular oncology fellowships" with a common curriculum nor consistent learning objectives that exist at this time. No wonders that getting information and second opinions especially regarding treatment options is so extremely variable!

Here are the most common pathways to becoming an ocular oncologist after residency:

1. General/comprehensive path: completion of a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship" where you work alongside an established ocular oncologist (surgical skills are limited to cataract surgery and extra-ocular procedures);

2. Oculoplastics path: completion of 1-year oculoplastics fellowship (eye-lids and eye-socket surgery skills) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship";

3. Medical retina path: completion of a 1-year medical retina fellowship (you learn about diseases of the retina but you do not perform surgery of the retina) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship";

4. Surgical retina path: completion of a 2-year vitreoretinal surgical fellowship (you learn diseases and surgery of the retina, with emphasis on retinal detachment repair) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship".

5. Other: completion of any fellowship (1-year oculoplastics, 1-year medical retina, or 2-year surgical retina) that includes mentorship with an ocular oncologist who is part of that fellowship.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

It is actually uncommon that your eyeball will shrink after brachytherapy or proton therapy radiation for ocular melanoma treatment. If the tumor is large, and the treatment results in the eye no longer being able to produce aqueous humor, then the eyeball may get smaller due to poor functioning. We call this phthisis bulbi, which means "end-stage eye". However, the majority of people have eyelid or eye-socket issues that make the eye appear smaller, although the eyeball itself is the same size as the unaffected eye.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

The answer is definitely - No! Once the tumor has responded to radiation treatment (that it, it is killed and no longer viable), it will not respond to anything you do to it - whether you spend most of your time out of doors, you don't wear sunglasses, you have additional intraocular surgery or take medications. There is nothing we know of that will make a well-treated ocular melanoma come back to life. Continue to have your treated ocular melanoma checked by your ocular oncologist or retina specialist. Even years after treatment it is important to always monitor for tumor control and to evaluate for treatable conditions that may improve your vision.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Sixteen years ago, we published our findings that silicone oil, a substance that is used to repair retinal detachments can be used to shield radiation from healthy non-tumor parts of the eye, because it is denser than the vitreous humor that fills the eye. Using silicone oil during ocular melanoma treatment is a standard of care treatment at UCLA, Stein Eye Institute. At the time of brachytherapy plaque placement, we also replace the vitreous humor with silicone oil. This limits the radiation exposure to healthy tissues while still appropriately treating the ocular melanoma. Silicone oil placed in the eye during brachytherapy is one of the only ways we can reduce the radiation exposure and improve vision in eyes that must have an ocular melanoma treated. Listen to learn more about this technique, how it helps and how it is slowly being adopted by other centers other than UCLA.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Almost every patient has wondered if they might lose their sight. However, the fear and overwhelm of what we don't understand can be more troubling than the vision itself. Join Dr. Tara McCannel to learn how the eye creates vision and how eye diseases can change how we see. Learning about your eye health will help you make informed choices during treatment and stay focused on living your best life.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

The most important test after tumor treatment is the ultrasound. That is what we use to know how effective our treatment is. Having new blood, having an increase in retinal detachment and even having a decrease in vision may not have anything to do with how well the ocular melanoma has been treated.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

It is very common to have a drooping eyelid (called "ptosis") after ocular melanoma surgery. The most common reason is post-operative edema. The second reason is mechanical ptosis from the surgery itself. The time to start looking into treatment options by an oculoplastics (eye-lid and eye-socket) specialist is at least 4-5 months after your surgery so that you give yourself time to heal naturally. There are excellent treatment options for drooping eyelid if you need them.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

In your reading about ways to treat an ocular melanoma, you may have come across a technique called "tumor endoresection". This is essentially removing the ocular melanoma from the eye by either an external technique, or an internal technique. The reason tumor endoresection is not offered in North American ocular oncology centers is because of the significant risk of morbidity to a patient's health - stroke, cardiac ischemia, air embolism and death - in order to reduce bleeding complications in the eye during the procedure. In contrast, ocular radiation treatments or enucleation (eye removal), do not increase a patient's risk of severe systemic complications. Most of the world's endoresection surgeons are in Europe and claim that patients have better vision when the tumor is cut from the eye. Would you really want the possibility of better vision if it meant severe illness or death during the procedure?

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

The most common and best way to treat an ocular melanoma where the tumor has not grown past the point of treatment, and where there is still vision in the eye is plaque brachytherapy. We discuss how surgery works, and review what to expect.

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

Welcome! For those of you who are new to me and my mission, I want to share a little about my background, experience and my philosophy toward patient care. Welcome back if you are visiting again!

Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately.

Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go!

For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma

The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.

Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.