Location: Ein-Karem, Clinics Building,

Mezzanine floor

The Ocular Oncology Service in the Department of Ophthalmology is the only one of its kind in Israel.  It was established  and is headed by Prof. Jacob Pe'er.  The vast majority of patients with intraocular tumors and related diseases in Israel are referred to this clinic for examination and treatment.

About 50 new uveal melanoma patients are treated each year, mainly by Ru-106 brachytherapy, some by enucleation and a few by local tumor resection.  Several hundred cases of uveal melanoma are followed up routinely twice yearly.  The systemic follow-up of many of these patients is done in the Oncology Department, and in recent years partial hepatectomy for liver metastasis has been done in the Surgery Department, while chemotherapy and immunotherapy are given in the Oncology Department.

About 8 - 10 new cases of retinoblastoma in children are examined and treated in this clinic annually.  Their systemic evaluation, as well as the systemic treatment either by chemotherapy or radiotherapy, are performed in collaboration with the Pediatric Oncology Clinic.  Many of the children need local adjuvant treatment by cryotherapy, brachytherapy or laser photocoagulation.  The number of eyes enucleated due to retinoblastoma has decreased dramatically in recent years.  Over 100 patients with retinoblastoma are under follow-up in this Clinic 2 - 4 times yearly.

Other intraocular tumors in adults and children, such as metastatic tumors to the eye, intraocular hemangiomas, intraocualr lymphoma, etc., as well as tumor-simulating diseases, are referred to this Clinic for diagnosis and treatment.  About 100 patients with epibulbar tumors are also treated annually in the Clinic, surgically and medically, sometimes in collaboration with the Cornea and External Eye Disease Clinic.  Approximately 100 patients with eyelid and orbital tumors are referred as well, and treated in collaboration with the Oculoplastic Clinic.

The Ocular Oncology Clinic operates twice weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, examining about 20 - 30 patients each day.  On these days the ultrasound unit of our Department serves only the Ocular Oncology Clinic, examining about 15 patients each time.  Many of the patients undergo photography in the Medical Illustration Unit of our Department, using state-of-the-art cameras.

Patients with eye tumors who need surgical treatment such as brachytherapy, enucleation, or local resections are operated in the Ophthalmic Operating Room on Sundays.  Also, children with retinoblastoma who need to be examined under anesthesia or adjuvant treatment undergo this procedure in our operating room.

The number of patients who are diagnosed and treated in the Ocular Oncology Clinic increases constantly.  They are referred from all the medical centers in Israel, which shows the confidence that ophthalmologists and oncologists in Israel have in this special service.