Ocular findings in patients undergoing cancer treatment

Purpose: Our goal is to perform a complete clinical ophthalmologic examination in cancer patients receiving treatment (radiation, chemotherapy, or combinations) in order to assess adverse ocular events. Methodology: This study was conducted at the McGill University Health Centre. Necessary approval by the hospital ethics regulatory board was obtained prior to recruitment of patients and commencement of the study. The details of the study were explained to patients prior to securing informed consent. Inclusion criteria were as follows: all patients receiving any modality of treatment for any type of cancer, with or without ocular complaints. Exclusion criteria were as follows: inability to or difficulty in visiting the eye clinic for subsequent follow-ups. A comprehensive ophthalmologic evaluation was conducted, including assessment of visual acuity, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, dilated fundus examination, and optical coherence tomography of both the anterior and posterior segments. Data gathered from the initial visit served as baseline for the patient’s symptoms and health status of the patient’s eye, as well as type of cancer and treatment modality. Results: We analyzed data for 118 patients with cancer diagnosis. The median age was 67 years (29–93 years). Regarding gender, 73 (61.86%) were female and 45 (38.14%) were male. Among all patients, 51 (43.22%) had breast cancer, 29 (24.58%) had lung cancer, 21 (17.80%) had hematological cancer, and 17 (14.41%) had gastrointestinal cancer. Eighty-two patients (69.49%) received chemotherapy as their main treatment, whereas 36 (30.51%) received radiation therapy. We identified 69 patients (58.47%) with alterations in the ocular examination, which consisted of dry eyes in 41 patients (34.75%) and cataracts in 28 patients (23.73%). Conclusion: Cancer treatment may lead to ocular signs and symptoms including affecting visual acuity. Early recognition of these side effects is important to minimize ocular manifestations and to improve quality of life throughout the treatment. Specific associations between ocular findings and a particular cancer treatment need yet to be determined.