Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma

Tara McCannel MD PhD
  • 5.0 (7)
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Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma with Tara McCannel, MD PhD, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice. Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  1. 1d ago

    How Is Ocular Melanoma Diagnosed?

    The first question many new patients ask me when I give the diagnosis of ocular melanoma is - How do you know it is an eye cancer without performing a biopsy? Listen to my discussion today that features how the eye is a unique place where we can actually see the tumor, unlike if a tumor is hidden within an organ where only scans can tell us what is going on; how diagnosing ocular melanoma requires a skilled clinician who uses their examination tools - both indirect binocular ophthalmoscopy (the miner's headlamp) and the slit lamp microscope - together with photography and ultrasonography to gather additional data that "fits" with the diagnosis of ocular melanoma. Finally, I share the pitfalls and inaccuracies of using biopsy to make the diagnosis. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  2. 1d ago

    In-Person Ocular Melanoma Retreat: Immersive Survivorship Experience

    What would it be like to spend a few days in a mountainside setting with a small group who are also on their journey with ocular melanoma? The first Finding Your Way With Ocular Melanoma retreat is an intimate, physician-led immersive experience for a small group of individuals who are ready to move beyond simply coping. Through education, nervous system regulation, nature, meaningful connection, and shared experiences, you'll gain evidence-based strategies to help build a healthier, more hopeful life with ocular melanoma. The retreat will take place October 15-17, 2026. Visit my resource page (Seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma) to submit a retreat interest form if this resonates with you! Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  3. Jun 23

    The Biology of Connection: A Skill For Cancer Survival

    Register for my Sunday, July 19, 2026 10AM PST live Webinar here to learn more! When thinking of all the ways we can beat cancer, most oncologists are thinking of treatments - radiation, surgery, new cancer drugs. All vitally important. And some doctors will discuss the importance of improving your physical health - getting better sleep, doing more exercise and eating healthier. But which doctors are talking about the critical importance of our mental and emotional health in survival? How we think and feel has already been shown to significantly alter our physiology. I believe it is as important to work on what is going on in your brain and mind to give you the best chance at surviving ocular melanoma, and any cancer. The marital status paper by Cai et al, published in Journal of Cancer in 2020, that showed that being married is an independent protective factor for development of metastasis in ocular melanoma is truly breathtaking - evidence that our close personal connections *MATTER* in survival. How can we make the most of this? Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  4. Jun 13

    What Kind of Training Do You Need to Become an Ocular Oncologist?

    Surprising as it may seem, the training to become an eye cancer specialist is highly variable. The only common denominator is that we all attended ophthalmology residency after medical school. An ophthalmology residency is the 4 or 5 years of subspecialty training where a medical doctor learns diseases and surgery of the eye. Additional training beyond residency is called a "fellowship". There are no standard "ocular oncology fellowships" with a common curriculum nor consistent learning objectives that exist at this time. No wonders that getting information and second opinions especially regarding treatment options is so extremely variable! Here are the most common pathways to becoming an ocular oncologist after residency: 1. General/comprehensive path: completion of a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship" where you work alongside an established ocular oncologist (surgical skills are limited to cataract surgery and extra-ocular procedures); 2. Oculoplastics path: completion of 1-year oculoplastics fellowship (eye-lids and eye-socket surgery skills) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship"; 3. Medical retina path: completion of a 1-year medical retina fellowship (you learn about diseases of the retina but you do not perform surgery of the retina) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship"; 4. Surgical retina path: completion of a 2-year vitreoretinal surgical fellowship (you learn diseases and surgery of the retina, with emphasis on retinal detachment repair) in addition to a one-year "ocular oncology fellowship". 5. Other: completion of any fellowship (1-year oculoplastics, 1-year medical retina, or 2-year surgical retina) that includes mentorship with an ocular oncologist who is part of that fellowship. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  5. Jun 13

    Can My Eye Shrink After Ocular Melanoma Treatment?

    It is actually uncommon that your eyeball will shrink after brachytherapy or proton therapy radiation for ocular melanoma treatment. If the tumor is large, and the treatment results in the eye no longer being able to produce aqueous humor, then the eyeball may get smaller due to poor functioning. We call this phthisis bulbi, which means "end-stage eye". However, the majority of people have eyelid or eye-socket issues that make the eye appear smaller, although the eyeball itself is the same size as the unaffected eye. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  6. Jun 13

    Can Sun Exposure Re-Activate My Treated Melanoma?

    The answer is definitely - No! Once the tumor has responded to radiation treatment (that it, it is killed and no longer viable), it will not respond to anything you do to it - whether you spend most of your time out of doors, you don't wear sunglasses, you have additional intraocular surgery or take medications. There is nothing we know of that will make a well-treated ocular melanoma come back to life. Continue to have your treated ocular melanoma checked by your ocular oncologist or retina specialist. Even years after treatment it is important to always monitor for tumor control and to evaluate for treatable conditions that may improve your vision. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  7. Jun 9

    The Benefits of Silicone Oil to Protect Healthy Tissue in Plaque Brachytherapy Radiation

    Sixteen years ago, we published our findings that silicone oil, a substance that is used to repair retinal detachments can be used to shield radiation from healthy non-tumor parts of the eye, because it is denser than the vitreous humor that fills the eye. Using silicone oil during ocular melanoma treatment is a standard of care treatment at UCLA, Stein Eye Institute. At the time of brachytherapy plaque placement, we also replace the vitreous humor with silicone oil. This limits the radiation exposure to healthy tissues while still appropriately treating the ocular melanoma. Silicone oil placed in the eye during brachytherapy is one of the only ways we can reduce the radiation exposure and improve vision in eyes that must have an ocular melanoma treated. Listen to learn more about this technique, how it helps and how it is slowly being adopted by other centers other than UCLA. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

  8. Jun 9

    Webinar: Will I Go Blind? A Clear, Calm Guide For Understanding Your Risks (May 17, 2026)

    Almost every patient has wondered if they might lose their sight. However, the fear and overwhelm of what we don't understand can be more troubling than the vision itself. Join Dr. Tara McCannel to learn how the eye creates vision and how eye diseases can change how we see. Learning about your eye health will help you make informed choices during treatment and stay focused on living your best life. Get your copy of the one-page Ocular Melanoma: Start Here Guide, it will be emailed to you immediately. Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! For Tara McCannel's resources (including webinar links and link to my book!), visit my website: https://seyhart.com/ocularmelanoma The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice.  Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

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Welcome to Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma with Tara McCannel, MD PhD, a guide to understanding everything there is to know about your experience with this rare cancer. Learn through the lens of my knowledge and clinical experience as a physician expert and passionate patient advocate. The more you know about ocular melanoma, the better you will do, and the better you will live. Let's go! The content shared on the Finding Your Way with Ocular Melanoma podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information provided must not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. As a listener, you are responsible for your own health-related decisions and must consider consulting with a healthcare professional for personalized medical advice. Tara McCannel MD PhD is a an ocular oncologist, vitreoretinal surgeon and co-founder of Seyhart Wellness. She is also the host of the Mind Body MD podcast where she shares her passion for holistic health and wellness.

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