Treatment of Orbital Cancer in Israel

Professor Igal Leibovich

Ophthalmologist, specialist in oculoplastics

At Top Ichilov Clinic, the treatment of orbital cancer, a rare but very dangerous oncological disease, employs the latest methods and technologies that have proven their high effectiveness and safety, such as innovative polychemotherapy drugs, the new Israeli medical science immunotherapy AST, radiation therapy using the latest generation TrueBeam systems, and many others.

100%

high-precision diagnostic program

1870

patients have undergone successful treatment for orbital cancer at Ichilov Clinic

30%

of cancer cases can be prevented, thanks to diagnostics at stage 0

Treatment of Orbital Cancer in Israel At Top Ichilov Clinic, doctors possess invaluable experience gained over years of practice and internships at leading medical centers around the world. All specialists are world-renowned experts who highly value their reputation, which excludes medical error as a phenomenon alien to Israeli medicine.

The doctors at Top Ichilov are equipped with the latest inventions and developments in science, technology, and pharmacology. They not only skillfully apply innovative methods and modern medications in practice but also take an active part in the development and clinical trials of new technologies and drugs.

Orbital Cancer: Experimental Treatment in Israel

Orbital cancer in Israel is treated using a comprehensive approach, the latest equipment, and cutting-edge drugs. Treatment plans for orbital cancer are individually tailored for each patient based on diagnostic examination results and international protocols.

Polychemotherapy. Polychemotherapy involves treatment with multiple antitumor drugs. In the treatment of orbital cancer in Israel, cytostatic drugs are used that inhibit the growth and division of tumour cells, leading to their apoptosis. Cytotoxic drugs are also used, which aim to destroy cancer cells by breaking them down at the molecular level (destroying the cell membrane, nucleus). The result of this group of drugs is cell necrosis – complete cell death. Today, the chemotherapy regimen includes the latest generation of drugs – immunotherapy drugs that stimulate the patient's immune system to destroy foreign agents – atypical cells. New drugs are equipped with special chemical receptors that respond to intracellular proteins causing mutations and continuous cell division. They not only locate foreign cells but also destroy them at the DNA level. With high destructive activity against tumour cells, new generation drugs have minimal side effects.
AST Immunotherapy Method – a breakthrough in Israeli medicine, one of the discoveries of the century that has given humanity real hope for overcoming cancer.
Radiation Therapy. Radiation at Top Ichilov is conducted using the latest generation linear accelerators. The Novalis and TrueBeam systems are equipped with a navigation system used by NASA: this system allows the machine to adjust to the slightest changes in the patient's body position, even during breathing movements, and changes in the shape of the tumour during breathing, accurately focusing the beam on the tumour without affecting surrounding healthy tissues. This approach minimizes radiation exposure to the entire body and effectively targets cancer cells. The method is also applicable for irradiating areas with metastases from orbital cancer, which contributes to their regression and allows, like chemotherapy, to reduce the size of the tumour or metastases and perform surgical intervention.
Surgical Treatment. Surgical intervention is applied only if conservative methods have not yielded the expected results or if the orbital tumour has spread beyond the eye. In such cases, the eyeball is completely removed along with all adjacent structures, regional lymph nodes, and distant metastases (orbital cancer can metastasize to the liver, lungs).

Oncological Surgery of the Orbit

Orbital Cancer: Accurate Diagnosis – Easy and Quick

Due to the rarity and under-researched nature of this form of cancer, orbital cancer is diagnosed in clinics in the CIS only at terminal stages, when it is no longer possible to save the patient. In Israel, thanks to modern high-precision equipment, orbital cancer is detected at the earliest stages of development.

Orbital cancer in Israel is diagnosed quickly and accurately, within 3 days, according to an individual diagnostic program, adhering to all international standards and protocols.

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Day One – Consultation and Examination by the Leading Ocular Oncologist

As soon as the patient arrives at Top Ichilov, they are examined by the leading ocular oncologist. The doctor reviews the patient's medical documentation, including the medical history, test results, and studies conducted by the patient at their place of residence, performs a general examination to assess the patient's overall condition, compiles a medical history, and issues referrals for diagnostic procedures.

Day Two – Diagnostic Procedures

Physical Examination. The doctor conducts a physical examination to identify external signs of orbital cancer.
Ophthalmoscopic Examination. Changes in certain structures of the eye and pathological processes, such as optic nerve atrophy, changes in the retinal blood vessels, and signs of congestion in the optic nerve discs, are detected.
Ultrasound. Ultrasound examination allows for the detection of orbital tumours and the examination of internal eye structures for pathological changes.
X-ray. Radiological examination is performed to identify deformations and destruction of the orbital bone tissue, to establish the degree of pathological changes and spread.
CT, MRI, PET-CT. These studies are performed to assess the condition of the entire body, to detect pathological changes in internal organs and the extent of tumour spread, i.e., the presence of metastases (the smallest and most distant in other organs and tissues of the body). Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET-CT), developed in Israel, is particularly informative.
Eye Angiography. This study involves examining the condition of the blood vessels in the orbit. Angiography is used to determine the area of the tumour with an abundance of vessels supplying it.
Fine-Needle Biopsy. Once the location of the orbital cancer focus is established, a biopsy is performed. A thin needle is used to puncture the tumour and obtain a tissue sample. During histological examination under a microscope, the type of tumour is determined based on the predominant content of various atypical cells.

Day Three – Final Consultation and Treatment Plan

At the final stage of the diagnostic process, specialized professionals are involved to make a joint decision on an individual treatment program for the patient with an orbital tumour. A radiologist, ophthalmologist, oncologist, ocular oncologist, and surgical oncologist collectively develop a treatment plan, which may be adjusted as necessary.

Orbital Cancer: Prevalence and Symptoms

Orbital cancer is one of the rarest oncological diseases in humans. Primary and secondary orbital cancers are distinguished. Primary orbital cancer affects both men and women equally. It is also diagnosed in children aged 5 to 12 years. Primary orbital cancer develops from orbital cells and is a relatively rare disease. The most common forms of this type are orbital sarcoma, adenocarcinoma, and adenoid cystic carcinoma. Secondary orbital cancer develops against the backdrop of oncological lesions of internal organs. Metastases to the orbit can arise from cancers such as breast cancer, lung cancer, kidney cancer, prostate cancer, melanoma, Hodgkin's lymphoma, lymphoma, and bone cancer of the skull and jaw bones.

Among the causes of primary orbital cancer, scientists highlight genetic predisposition, prolonged exposure to ultraviolet and ionizing radiation, and prolonged exposure to carcinogenic and chemical substances. However, it is not necessary for cancer to develop with exposure to these provoking factors, and conversely, many patients with orbital cancer have not shown the influence of any of the listed factors. Based on the above, it can be concluded that the exact cause of orbital cancer development, like that of any other localization of cancer, has not yet been established.

Orbital cancer manifests with the following specific symptoms: sharp decrease in visual acuity, patients complain of blurriness and double vision, spots appear before their eyes, strabismus develops, the eyeball protrudes, eyelid tremors and eye tremors are noted, there are painful sensations in the eye, eyelid swelling, a pressing pain in the eyeball, the eyeball may change shape, its mobility decreases, and tearing increases.