Ocular tumors are rare neoplasms that can affect both adults and children and can significantly impair vision (to the point of blindness) and quality of life, as well as shorten life, especially in forms diagnosed late and characterized by a more “aggressive” course.
The main ocular cancer that can appear in adulthood, especially after age 50-60, is uveal melanoma, characterized by an estimated incidence of 4-7 cases per million population/year in the United States and Europe, with about 400 new patients/year in Italy.
The main ocular tumor of childhood is retinoblastoma, which is characterized by very early onset (usually, within 3-5 years) and an incidence of 1 case per 15-20,000 births/year.
