The world’s first international eye lymphoma registry will record data from patients suffering from the rare cancer to allow statistical analysis of different treatment strategies.
The registry has been created by a Flinders University team led by Professor Justine Smith and Queensland Eye Institute Foundation (QEIF) CEO Professor Mark Radford.
“Lymphoma of the eye causes distressing symptoms, including loss of vision and severe floaters. Sadly, the largest problem for almost all patients is that this cancer usually progresses to involve the brain,” said Prof Smith.
Data from the Australian Cancer Database shows that only a third of patients with lymphoma of the eye live for five years once it has metastasised to the brain, but since the condition affects just one in one million Australians, traditional clinical trials are impractical.
