What Increases The Risk Of Eye Melanoma?

Being Caucasian

Eye melanoma is more common in individuals with lighter skin tones than it is in individuals with darker skin. This occurs because individuals with light skin have less melanin in their body overall. Melanin is what gives the eyes, hair, and skin its pigmentation. Melanin also protects cells by absorbing and deflecting the UV energy away from healthy cells in the interior tissues of the body. Individuals who have less melanin in their skin are more likely to have less melanin in the iris or the colored part of the eye. Less melanin in these areas results in less protection from the harmful and damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun and other sources. In addition, individuals with lighter skin tend to have more discolorations in their iris and on their skin such as freckles and moles. The group of individuals in the population who have fair skin tones and blue colored eyes are the most affected by eye melanoma. Even though having a light eye color and being Caucasian are independent risk factors of this type of cancer, an individual with both of these characteristics is at a higher risk than someone who only has one of them.