A PENSIONER went to his optician complaining about a bloodshot eye – only to discover he had cancer.

Michael Beaumont, 69, from Burnham, had always had a lazy left eye which meant his vision was poor.

But he was stunned when optometrist Rama Venkat referred him to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton after finding a raised area grey on his retina.

Mr Beaumont said he only went to Specsavers in the High Street after his wife suggested he have his eye checked.

He was seen by Mr Venkat who spotted the suspect mark and suspected it could be a melanoma.

“I didn’t want to alarm Mr Beaumont,” he explained.

“I told him that I’d found an elevated area on his eye and needed to refer him to Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton for further investigation.

The eye department saw him quickly and confirmed that it was in fact chorodial melanoma.”

Mr Beaumont was told he needed to be treated in Liverpool, at one of just three specialist units in the UK.

Under general anaesthetic a radioactive plaque was inserted behind his eye. Specialists also took a biopsy of the tumour to be analysed.

“It was a little bit uncomfortable while it was in there but it was taken out after four days,” said Mr Beaumont.

“The treatment was a complete success and I’m now fully recovered but the doctor at Musgrove Park told me that if it had been left even two months longer, I would have lost my eye.

I now have to go for checkups at both Liverpool and Musgrove Park hospital twice a year for the rest of my life but that’s a small price to pay.

“I’m so grateful to Rama for fitting me in at such short notice and the speed at which he referred me to hospital.

As it turned out, my bloodshot eye wasn’t anything related to the tumour but it shows that if you notice any changes in your eyes or your vision, it’s important to get it checked.”

Mr Venkat added: “We’re just pleased that Mr Beaumont has made a full recovery. We recommend a sight test at least every two years or as soon as you notice any changes in your eyes or vision.”

Symptoms of eye cancer These include: bulging of one eye total or partial loss of vision or blurred vision pain in or around your eye, although this is rare a change in the appearance of the eye or surrounding tissues You may also experience: flashes of light, spots, or wiggly lines in front of your eye a lump on your eyelid or in the eye that’s increasing in size Many of these symptoms are common to other eye conditions.

However, it’s very important that these symptoms are checked by a doctor as soon as possible.