A DAD is urging people not to skip a routine eye test after an appointment at Specsavers helped uncover a rare cancer hidden inside his skull.
Jake Watts, from Stanford-le-Hope, says a routine eye examination at Specsavers was “potentially lifesaving” after staff noticed something was not right and advised him to seek further medical attention.
Further investigations revealed Jake, 29, had chondrosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer, growing in his skull near his brain stem.
Specsavers staff say the case highlights the important role regular eye examinations can play in detecting wider health issues, even when patients do not have concerns about their eyesight.
Jake attended the Grays branch for a routine annual check-up in 2024. During the appointment, the optometrist carrying out the examination noticed his eyes were unusually bloodshot and recommended he visit his GP for further checks.
Subsequent scans revealed a large tumour behind his ear.
Thiviyan Sivananthan, ophthalmic clinical director at Specsavers Grays, said eye examinations can often provide valuable insights into a person’s overall health.
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He said: “We look out for symptoms and finding signs of other conditions through the eyes isn’t uncommon, but to discover something as severe as this is rare.
“The eye provides a clear view of the blood vessels, so our specialists get a very good view during examinations and often conditions can present visibly there, even if the cause is elsewhere in the body.
“I would say this example demonstrates the importance of going for regular eye tests. Even if the outcome is that there is nothing wrong with your vision, it is a good indication of your health generally.”
Mr Sivananthan said many people associate eye tests solely with checking vision, but they can also help identify signs of wider health conditions that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Jake, who is now receiving treatment at the Royal London Hospital, believes the intervention of the Specsavers team made a crucial difference.
“I hadn’t noticed the other symptoms,” he said. “It was a yearly appointment as I wear glasses anyway and I would say their intervention made a massive difference and was potentially lifesaving.
“Without them noticing and urging me to go to the hospital, it would have just kept growing and growing.
“When I next went back, I said I can’t thank you enough. Without them I would never have known and who knows what would have happened.
“She was incredibly humble and just said it’s their job to let people know if they have concerns, but without her saying so who knows what could have happened.”
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