Eyelid Tumour Warning: Doctors Recommend Sunglasses and Sunscreen

A specialist eye doctor has highlighted the serious risk that excessive sun exposure poses to eye health, specifically warning against malignant tumours of the eyelid. Dr Tri Wahyu, Sp.M, stated that wearing anti-UV sunglasses and applying sunscreen constitute crucial steps for protecting the eyelids. In a health discussion with Pondok Indah Hospital in Jakarta on Wednesday (4/6), Dr Tri stressed that protection from ultraviolet (UV) rays is not merely an aesthetic issue, but a medical necessity for both men and women. “If we are active in open spaces exposed to the sun for a long time, sunscreen protection is necessary. Not only for women, men need it too. Sunglasses can protect the eye area and the eyelids themselves from UV rays,” said the Padjadjaran University graduate. Years of chronic sun exposure is the main risk factor for the emergence of a tumour on the eyelid known as sebaceous carcinoma. This is a type of malignant tumour that attacks the skin’s oil (sebaceous) glands and is statistically more commonly experienced by men. Besides sebaceous carcinoma, Dr Tri mentioned other types of skin cancer that can also attack the eye area, namely squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. In general, eyelid tumours account for about 5 percent to 10 percent of total skin malignancy cases throughout the body. One of the challenges in detecting eyelid tumours is that they often resemble ordinary lumps or styes (hordeolum). Dr Tri explained that in the early phase, a tumour can appear as a single red and swollen nodule. “Initially it resembles a stye, with a head, red, swollen. However, if treatment and medication have been given but it is unresponsive or yields poor results, then we must suspect malignancy,” he explained. If diagnosed with sebaceous carcinoma, the usual medical treatment involves surgical removal of the tumour followed by eyelid reconstruction. Dr Tri noted that fair-skinned individuals have a higher susceptibility to skin cancer compared to pigmented Asian or Austronesian people. Even so, vigilance and physical protection remain the primary key for anyone who is frequently active outdoors.