Should I Get a Biopsy of My Choroidal/Ocular Nevus?

If you have a small ocular lesion that is suspicious, or that makes your eye doctors concerned for cancer, know this - you never have to rush into deciding what to do about it. This is because even small cancers grow slowly, so time is on your side to come up with a plan. Get second opinions ALWAYS when there is the possibility of a cancer, or if your doctors are thinking of an ocular procedure or surgery to figure out the next steps. Ocular melanomas and eye cancers are rare. Even your ocular oncologist may not have seen a lot of cases. Increasingly, more and more ocular oncologists are choosing to perform a biopsy as part of their decision-making. Listen on to learn how performing a prognostic biopsy (that is to see if you are a Class 1 or 2 lesion) to sort out your situation may be problematic and may result in over-treatment of small lesions that may not be cancer. 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.