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| Chief Hiroya Kashiwagi, M.D., Ph.D. |
The Division of Ophthalmology deals with eye diseases in general. At the Shizuoka Cancer Center, the division is specializing in ocular tumors, as well as other general eye diseases of the patients taking cancer treatments. Ocular tumors are not very common, but some of them can be life-threatening and need treatments provided by a specialist. In addition, there have been more and more cases lately where cancer patients taking anti-cancer drugs have side effects in eyes. At this division, efforts are being made to control those side effects so that the patients can continue taking their cancer treatments.
Eyes function as very important organs covering more than 80% of the whole information from outer world, while at the same time they are key components for appearances. Therefore, when tumors in eyes need surgeries, postoperative appearances must be carefully and thoroughly considered beforehand. The Shizuoka Cancer Center is one of a few medical institutions where tumors in eyes can be treated by a full-time ophthalmology specialist having ample experiences. Furthermore, even better cancer treatment than ever is always pursued through periodical medical conferences (review meetings for therapeutic plans) to exchange broad insights with the Department of Ophthalmology of the Cancer Institute Hospital of JFCR in Ariake, the Department of Ophthalmic Oncology of the National Cancer Center Hospital, and the Department of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery of the Seirei Hamamatsu General Hospital. In addition, genomic analyses for malignant melanoma and sebaceous gland cancer have been promoted here lately.
Side effects from anti-cancer drugs often appear in eyes, not limited to nausea and hair loss. The symptoms vary including eye lash troubles, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, retinal problems, lacrimal duct obstructions and corneal disorders, but they are not widely recognized yet and are sometimes let slide by at most hospitals. There are only three institutions having full-time ophthalmology specialists stand by among the cancer centers in Japan, and the SCC is one of them. Side effects from anti-cancer drugs in eyes (ophthalmologic disorders) are always very much focused on here. The specialist at the SCC has been making efforts in educating younger generation as well, through delivering lectures at the Japan Society of Clinical Oncology and the Japanese Society for Ocular Pharmacology. Also as part of the educational efforts to improve the awareness among cancer patients, we have published a booklet consisting of 36 pages on the side effects from anti-cancer drugs in the eyes.
Among the side effects from anti-cancer drugs affecting eyes, “blockage in lacrimal passage, i.e., stenosis or obstruction of the lacrimal duct more specifically, has been increasing rapidly in recent years. We had the latest lacrimal endoscopy installed in 2010, which has enabled us to employ an improved treatment method of inserting a tube directly into the lacrimal canal.
Because eyes are the windows to get so much information from outer world, once people have eye disorders, they will feel not only uncomfortable but also very anxious. That will be more so for cancer patients. Therefore, it must be a huge relief for them to know that there is a full-time ophthalmologist at the Shizuoka Cancer Center and any disorders in the eyes will be promptly taken care of. Needless to say, the sooner the patients seek treatments, the better outcomes they get for the eye tumors and the side effects from anti-cancer drugs in the eyes. Whenever you feel something wrong in the eyes, please do not hesitate to visit an ophthalmologist
ophthalmology
ocular tumors
ocular pathology
neuro-ophthalmology
lacrimal passage
eye bank
side effects in the eyes (eye disorders) from anti-cancer drugs
Ophthalmologist Certified by the Japanese Ophthalmological Society
Councilor and Editorial Committee Member, the Japanese Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
Councilor, the Shizuoka Eye Bank Association
The Japanese Society for Ocular Oncology
The Japanese Society of Lacrimal Passage and Tear Dynamics
The Japanese Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
The Japanese Society for Ocular Pharmacology
The Japan Cornea Society
The Ethical Committee Member, the Japanese Ophthalmologists Association
The International Society of Ocular Oncology
