If intraocular melanoma goes untreated, it may spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes, especially if the tumor is large, cancerous cells may leave the eyes and travel through the bloodstream, lymph vessels, or surrounding tissue and cause problems elsewhere in the body. With intraocular melanoma, this process-called metastasis-most commonly affects the optic nerve and eye socket, but can also affect the bones, lungs, and liver. If intraocular melanoma is caught early, treatment can reduce the chances of it spreading.
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