I blamed a subtle change to my vision at 48 on needing stronger contact lenses. But it was a sign of cancer – and I lost my eye because of it. Too many people ignore ‘small’ symptoms until it’s too late

Tessa Parry-Wingfield was jogging by the river near her home on a grey March day in 2023 when she noticed something unusual about her vision. ‘It was like my left and right eyes weren’t working together,’ says Tessa, now 48.

As a lifelong contact lens wearer due to shortsightedness, she initially blamed the fault on a change in her prescription and booked an eye test.

But at her appointment a few days later, during a scan the optician spotted an unusual ‘freckle’ at the back of her left eye.

Tessa, a professional speaker and communications specialist from south-west London, says: ‘They called in a colleague to have a look, which set my heart racing because I knew it wasn’t good news.

‘I remember them saying the word melanoma, which I knew meant cancer. I was still wearing my coat – I wasn’t expecting to hear scary news.’

She was referred to an eye hospital for further tests and then to a specialist, who confirmed she had a tumour the size of a pea at the back of her left eye.

She was then diagnosed with ocular melanoma – a rare form of eye cancer that affects about 600 people in the UK each year. ‘It was utterly terrifying,’ says Tessa, a mother of two girls, who is telling her story to encourage the public to attend routine eye checks.

Ocular melanoma develops in the cells that produce melanin, the natural pigment that gives skin, hair and eyes their colour. These cells are found throughout the body, including inside the eyeball.

In some cases the cancer begins as a harmless growth similar to a mole on the skin but found inside the eye.

Known as a choroidal naevus, these growths are small, dark patches that develop at the back of the eyeball. They are found in about 5 per cent of adults and can only be spotted during an eye examination. Most never cause problems, but in rare cases they can turn cancerous.

Warning signs include the growth becoming thicker, fluid collecting beneath the retina – the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye – or changes to vision.

The NHS recommends having an eye test every two years. However, an estimated 14.5 million British adults miss these routine checks, many because their eyes ‘feel fine’, according to research published last month by Eye Health UK.

Tessa believes her experience is a stark reminder of why these checks are vital.

She was told she would need to have her left eye removed within weeks to save her life.

While other treatments, such as radiotherapy, are available for some patients, Tessa says that taking away her eye was the only option in her case because the cancer was at risk of spreading. ‘It was a pretty awful three weeks,’ she says.

‘It all happened very quickly. Having my eye removed is something I’ve had to learn to live with and has been quite cosmetically challenging. I had to walk around without an eye for three months, wearing sunglasses when I went out.’

Tessa now wears a custom-made acrylic prosthetic eye, which matches the colour and details of her remaining eye. However, having a single eye limits depth perception.

Now she encourages people to attend routine eye tests and have any changes investigated.

‘I’m very lucky it was caught when it was because it could have spread,’ she says. ‘If I had ignored my symptoms, God only knows what would have happened.’

Mr Mfazo Hove, consultant ophthalmic surgeon and founder of Blue Fin Vision, says: ‘Overall, around half of people with ocular melanoma will eventually experience metastasis, where the cancer spreads to other parts of the body, most often to the liver.

‘Many ocular melanomas cause no symptoms in the early stages, especially when they sit at the back or the edge of the eye.

‘Often they are found by chance at a routine eye test.

‘This allows us to record them, photograph them and watch for changes. Examining the back of the eye thoroughly, with dilating drops when the optometrist or doctor judges it necessary, gives the most complete view.

‘Most adults should have an eye test at least every two years or as often as their optometrist advises – and anyone told they have a naevus should keep their follow-up appointments.

‘Any new change in your vision or the appearance of your eye deserves to be checked.

‘New symptoms should be assessed with a proper examination of the back of the eye, rather than assumed to be something minor.’

Tessa adds: ‘I have only one eye. Vision is one of the most important things – look after it. It is crazy how people sit on any eye concerns. Don’t worry about being a hypochondriac. No matter how tiny or insignificant you think something is, get it checked out.’

Alex Harman, from Ocular Melanoma UK, said: ‘We encourage everyone to have an eye test at least every two years, in line with NHS recommendations.

‘Our message is simple: please do not wait until something feels wrong to get your eyes checked.’