MODEL RELEASED. Eye cancer. Face of a patient with a malignant melanoma of the right eye. A melanoma of the eye is a type of cancer that comes from the choroid layer of the eye. It is an aggressive and malignant uncontrolled growth that has here spread over and around the eye. The choroid is the layer that lies between the retina and the outer layer of the eye. The growth of the cancer will damage the retina and can cause blindness. In an advanced stage, the eye may need to be surgically removed to prevent the spread of the cancer. Melanoma of the eye, the most common eye tumour in adults, is thought to be caused by excessive exposure to the Sun's ultraviolet rays. Photographed in Africa.