Facts About Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a medical term referring to the condition in which a malignant tumor develops in the retina of the eye. Beginning as a mutation in the retina, when left untreated the mutation becomes cancerous and can result in blindness or death. Luckily retinoblastoma is an extremely treatable form of cancer affecting children and has a high rate of cures and recoveries.

History

• There is no concrete evidence as to who first discovered, diagnosed, and put a description to retinoblastoma. The earliest known description of a retinoblastoma-like tumor was left behind in the mid 1600s by Amsterdam native, Peter Pawius. Since that time other evidence has been left behind that others have also discovered such tumors. It wasn't until 1926 when the term retinoblastoma was coined by the American Ophthalmological Society, and since then much research has been completed regarding the condition.

Causes

• It wasn't until the 1970s that retinoblastoma was discovered to be an inherited disease, generally affecting young children. The inheritance of this disease is caused by a genetic defect in which the thirteenth chromosome, the RB1 gene, fails to develop correctly causing a mutative growth that can become cancerous.

Symptoms

• It is the job of a parent to recognize symptoms of retinoblastoma in their children. The most obvious symptom is the appearance of a child's pupil; while a healthy eye will produce a red glow under photography lights, a retinoblastoma-affected eye will glow white or yellow. Other noticeable symptoms include: vision deterioration, different iris colors from one eye to the other, crossed eyes or lazy eyes, or red irritated eyes. Such symptoms should be mentioned to a health provider who can provide a proper diagnosis.

Treatment

• When treating retinoblastoma, a medical team's main priority is to preserve the life of the child. The second priority is the preservation of vision and the third priority is choosing a treatment that will leave behind minimal side effects for the child. Some retinoblastoma tumors may be removed or burnt out using laser surgery; and others may be treated using chemotherapy and radiation. If these treatment options fail, it may be necessary to remove the child's eye and replace it with a prosthetic piece. In situations where the tumor has spread past the retina, other means of removing the cancerous tissue will be instituted.

Warnings and Considerations

• Retinoblastoma affects approximately one child out of 20,000 world wide, with one in 12,000 cases in the United States. Annually there are 7,000 deaths as a result of retinoblastoma, most of which are results of late diagnosis. While occurring mostly in children ages 0 to 5 years, there are cases of retinoblastoma patients ages 13 and 16, and even 28. Early diagnosis is the key to successful removal of retinoblastoma tumors, so attention should be paid to eye function and exams performed regularly.