What are eyelid cancers?
Eyelid cancers are abnormal growths on or around the eyelids, usually arising from the skin, but occasionally from other structures such as eyelid glands. Skin cancer on the eyelids is disproportionately common given the small surface area of the lids, influenced by factors such as sun exposure and the character of the thin eyelid skin.
There are various forms of cancer which can affect the eyelid. The most common types are:
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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), which doesn't spread elsewhere in the body (metastasise), but can invade and destroy the structures around it
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Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), a more aggressive tumour which can spread to other parts of the body (metastasise)
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Sebaceous gland carcinoma (SGC), rare tumours which can spread to other parts of the body as well as diffusely across the inside of the eyelids and the surface of the eye. SGC arises from the oil glands within the eyelids, and can often appear similar to an eyelid cyst or chalazion, which can lead to delayed diagnosis
How is eyelid skin cancer treated?
In most cases, the best treatment for eyelid skin cancer is surgery. The roots of tumours are often more extensive than the lesion you can see, and a safety margin of tissue is needed to ensure removal of all of the cancer cells. In some cases, where more complex reconstruction is planned, this is carried out as a further operation once the removal of all cancer cells has been confirmed.
Early diagnosis and treatment of eyelid cancers is important, as removing tumours when they are small allows the preservation of more eyelid tissue, and early removal reduces the risk of the tumour invading other structures or spreading elsewhere in the body.
Eyelid cancers can appear similar to benign (non-cancerous) eyelid lumps, and assessment by an expert is important to determine the best management for you.
Robert Peden leads the eyelid cancer one-stop clinic for the NHS in Edinburgh, and has extensive experience and expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of eyelid cancers.