Ocular Melanoma 5K Benefit Returns to Stanford July 15

IT’S THAT TIME of year again. The annual race to raise awareness and support the fight against ocular melanoma, the most common eye cancer in U.S. adults, returns to Stanford on July 15. 

REGISTER HERE for the Third Annual Lookin’ for a Cure 5K hosted at Stanford and walk shoulder-to-shoulder with ocular melanoma survivors, their families, and the medical professionals who care for them at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford University. The race is also being offered virtually.

This annual event is hosted at the Byers Eye Institute and organized by A Cure in Sight, an organization founded to provide patient support services for Ocular Melanoma eye cancer patients. Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS, Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Ocular Oncology Service, is leading the effort to allow Stanford to host the event.

“Ocular melanoma can be a devastating diagnosis for patients, but the work and research being done at Stanford University offers hope for better treatments and even a cure in the future,” Mruthyunjaya said. “My hope is that the awareness raised by this race and fundraiser unites patients, researchers, and doctors in a common goal to stop this potentially deadly disease.”

All ages are welcome to run, walk or stay in one place and play games at the starting line, located at 2370 Watson Court, Palo Alto, CA 94303. Registration is at 7 a.m., and the race begins at 8 a.m. Those interested in attending in person or virtually can register online for $45. 

Prizes will be awarded for the fastest in-person race finishers in various age groups at 10 a.m., before the event ends at 11 a.m.

Proceeds from this event will go to A Cure in Sight to support ocular oncology research.

The race also aims to spread the world about the importance of early detection by getting regular dilated eye exams. Ocular melanoma makes up approximately 5 percent of melanomas in the U.S. and nearly 3,500 new cases will be diagnosed in the United States this year, according to data from the American Cancer Society. This cancer can be detected at its earliest stages with a simple routine dilated eye exam — a screening procedure performed during an annual eye exam.

Stanford is a national leader in providing state-of-the-art care for ocular melanoma patients of all ages and has pioneered groundbreaking research advances. Read about the work Stanford is doing around ocular melanoma here.

BY JANICE TURI, WEB AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST AT THE BYERS EYE INSTITUTE AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE.