Twinkle in my eye turned out to be cancer: When former Hull City chairman Paul Duffen had sparks in his vision, GPs diagnosed a sinus problem. The truth was more sinister... 56-year-old was diagnosed with rare form of cancer in his right eyeball Paul noticed sparkles in his eyes but GPs thought it was a sinus problem Weeks later an optometrist found a deadly tumour growing on Paul's retina Ten days later the former Hull City chairman had his eyeball removed Father-of-five is now free of cancer but needs regular check-ups By Eve Mcgowan For The Mail On Sunday Raising awareness: Paul Duffen, pictured with his wife Emma, suffered 'sparkles' in his vision which turned out to be cancer The look was more rock star than former chairman of Hull City Football Club. So when Paul Duffen was spotted last month on the far-from-sunny terraces at Hull sporting the kind of sunglasses of which U2 frontman Bono would be proud, fans were understandably curious. In fact, his eyewear was not a fashion statement. During the summer, the 56-year-old entrepreneur was diagnosed with a rare and deadly form of cancer in his right eyeball. Within ten days he was undergoing surgery to have the eye removed. "It has been a body blow," admits Paul, who lives in Surrey with wife Emma and the youngest three of their five children. The first sign that something wasn't right came at Easter, when he began to notice "sparkles" in his vision. The flashes of light occurred most often when he stood up or moved suddenly. "My GP said he thought it was probably due to a problem with my sinuses and prescribed me antibiotics and steroids," Paul recalls. But the episodes persisted, and by August the problem became hard to ignore. Working at his desk one day, Paul noticed a flash so bright that he turned his head, mistakenly thinking somebody had taken a photograph. He booked an appointment with an optometrist for the following morning - and the examination revealed a tumour growing on the retina. There are about 600 cases of uveal melanoma diagnosed in the UK each year. A body scan showed that the cancer hadn't spread, but Paul will need regular check-ups as in half of cases tumours return in other parts of the body, particularly the liver. Ten days later Paul saw consultant surgeon Victoria Cohen, director of the London Ocular Oncology service. Proton-beam therapy - a precise form of radiotherapy - was considered but discounted by Paul because it would have resulted in blindness in any case. He elected to have his eye removed instead. "This is required in about a third of the patients we diagnose with uveal melanoma," says Mrs Cohen. Paul had little time to analyse his feelings about losing an eye before the surgery was carried out. "Yes, losing an eye was tough but I didn't spend much time worrying about it," he says. It was a logical decision. The operation to remove the eyeball was carried out in September. At the same time, a temporary prosthetic ball, made from coral because of its similarity to human tissue, was implanted and attached to the remaining muscles, which means it can move in the same way as a real one. Hull City fans were curious when they spotted Paul wearing glasses more akin to Bono from U2 Former Hull City chairman Paul Duffen, left, pictured in 2009 with former Hull City manager Phil Brown A permanent prosthetic ball will be fitted once the post-surgery swelling subsides. Paul tends to wear sunglasses while out to disguise his missing eye until the permanent prosthetic is fitted. He is able to drive again and is back at work - he is president of an international publishing firm and sits on the board of several other companies, as well as running a football consultancy. "I find commuting a challenge - particularly the concourse at London's Waterloo Station, where people are rushing at you from different directions," he says. Paul is now evangelical about raising awareness of eye health and is campaigning with the College of Optometrists to emphasise the importance of regular examinations. I've been lucky to have perfect vision all my life and have never been very aware of eye health as a result. I really want to encourage people to go for an eye examination once every two years. An eye exam can pick up early warning signs for cancer, blood pressure and diabetes. 'If I'd known how important they were, there's every chance I'd still have both my eyes.