Imagine being told you have a condition so rare that only six out of every one million people will ever face it. That's exactly what happened to Allison Dashow, a 29-year-old native New Yorker who initially dismissed her symptoms as mere dry eyes. But here's where it gets truly eye-opening: what she thought was a minor irritation turned out to be ocular melanoma, a type of eye cancer so uncommon that most people have never even heard of it. And this is the part most people miss: despite its rarity, it’s the second-most diagnosed form of melanoma, yet it often flies under the radar. Allison’s journey from misdiagnosis to treatment—and her fight to raise awareness—is a story of resilience, uncertainty, and hope. But first, let’s rewind to how it all began.
In April 2022, Allison noticed intermittent pain in her left eye. Having dealt with dry eyes before, she brushed it off as nothing serious. 'It’ll probably go away,' she thought. But two months later, during a casual conversation with her therapist, the topic came up again. 'It’s your eye,' her therapist urged. 'You should definitely take that seriously.' Ironically, Allison, who had always been diligent about her health, found herself downplaying this symptom. 'It wasn’t that uncomfortable,' she explained. Yet, her therapist’s insistence prompted her to call her optometrist, who, after hearing her symptoms, asked her to come in immediately.
The optometrist found fluid buildup behind her retina and referred her to a specialist. After a series of scans, including an ultrasound, the specialist’s reaction was puzzling. 'This is very interesting,' he said, calling in a colleague for a second opinion. Suddenly, Allison was bombarded with questions about her family history and symptoms. The doctors ruled out eye cancer initially, diagnosing her with choroidal neovascularization (CNV), a condition where abnormal blood vessels grow beneath the retina, often leading to vision loss. But here’s the twist: CNV is typically linked to age, degeneration, or other retinal diseases—none of which applied to Allison. But here's where it gets controversial: despite the diagnosis, Allison sought a second opinion, and that decision changed everything.
A new doctor diagnosed her with choroidal melanoma, a form of ocular melanoma. This cancer, though rare, affects about 2,000 Americans annually and is more common in fair-skinned, blue-eyed individuals. Allison, fair-skinned but not blue-eyed, didn’t fit the typical profile. And this is the part most people miss: while sun exposure is a known cause of skin melanoma, its role in ocular melanoma remains a mystery. Allison’s diagnosis was a shock, and the stakes were high—the cancer spreads in about half of patients, often to the liver, where it becomes deadly.
After her diagnosis, Allison dove into research. She learned that laser treatment, initially recommended by her doctor, had a higher recurrence rate. Instead, she opted for plaque brachytherapy, a treatment dating back to 1915, where a radioactive plaque is sewn into the eye for seven days to kill the tumor. While effective, it comes with risks, including radiation retinopathy, a condition Allison developed in 2023, affecting 50% of patients. Today, she receives injections every five weeks to slow its progression and preserve her vision.
Now, three years later, Allison is a vocal advocate for ocular melanoma awareness. She’s the recipient of the Melanoma Research Foundation’s Courage Award and credits the organization for helping her find a community of fellow patients. 'It’s such an incredible organization,' she says. 'Without them, I don’t know if I ever would have met anyone with this cancer.' Her story highlights the importance of listening to your body and questioning medical advice when something feels off.
But here's the thought-provoking question: How many rare conditions like ocular melanoma go undiagnosed because symptoms are dismissed as minor? Allison’s journey reminds us that even the smallest health concerns can signal something much bigger. What’s your take? Have you ever overlooked a symptom that turned out to be significant? Share your thoughts in the comments—let’s keep the conversation going.
