Doctors in Delhi save vision of Iraq patient with rare tumour

Doctors at the Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi have successfully treated a 41-year-old man diagnosed with choroidal melanoma, a rare but potentially life-threatening eye cancer, using plaque brachytherapy, a treatment that preserves the eyes and vision while effectively targeting the tumour.

According to a release issued by the hospital, the patient, a resident of Iraq, had been experiencing gradual diminution of vision in his right eye for nearly six months. What initially seemed like a routine vision problem gradually began affecting his daily life, prompting him to seek expert medical care in India. Detailed clinical examination and investigations revealed a large intraocular tumour measuring approximately 9.5 x 13.5 mm, roughly the size of a small pea within the confined space of the eye, suggestive of choroidal melanoma, a malignant eye cancer that can spread beyond the eye if not treated early. Timely diagnosis allowed doctors to intervene at the right stage, when the disease was still confined to the eye.

After multidisciplinary assessment, doctors recommended plaque brachytherapy as the most appropriate approach, balancing effective tumour control with preservation of the patient’s quality of life.

Plaque brachytherapy is an advanced form of radiation treatment in ophthalmology, where a radioactive plaque is temporarily sutured to the outer surface of the eye directly over the tumour. This allows doctors to deliver precise radiation to the cancer while minimising damage to the surrounding healthy tissue, offering an effective alternative to complete removal of the eye. In this case, doctors used an indigenously developed Ruthenium-106 plaque manufactured by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, enabling access to high quality treatment at a significantly lower cost when compared with imported alternatives.

The procedure was performed by the team led by Dr. Anita Sethi, principal director and head of the Department of Ophthalmology Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket. “Many patients fear that an eye cancer diagnosis automatically means loss of the eye. Our goal was to treat the tumour effectively while helping the patient retain vision and confidence,” the hospital said in a statement.