Retinoblastoma is a type of cancer that affects the eyes in young children, but it can also sometimes occur in adults. Retinoblastoma can occur in one eye or both eyes, with cancerous tumors growing in the retina at the back of your child's eye. Several different treatments exist for childhood retinoblastoma, so talk with your child's doctor to discuss the treatment options.
Identification
The retina is the part of the eye that translates images into nerve transmissions in your child's brain, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Retinoblastoma involves tumors that grow in the retina and optic nerve, in some cases reaching the brain. If your child has retinoblastoma, you may see a white area in his pupil or notice that your child's eyes appear crossed, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Your child may complain of impaired vision or even blindness in one or both eyes, or redness or pain in the eye. Other signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma include different-colored irises, "glazed" eyes, pupils that are unresponsive to light, and the appearance of white spots in the pupil on photographs instead of the typical "red eye."
Significance
Retinoblastoma is the most common type of eye cancer or tumor in children and typically develops by the age of five years, according to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retinoblastoma is also the seventh most common type of cancer in children. The eye cancer begins to develop while the child is still in the womb when retinoblast cells grow too quickly and in abundance, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Retinoblastoma can lead to blindness if left untreated, but 95 percent of the childhood retinoblastoma cases in the United States are treated successfully, with 80 percent of children retaining perfect vision, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Retinoblastoma is especially dangerous if the cancer spreads to the brain, bones or lungs, warns the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Risk Factors
Your child is most at-risk for retinoblastoma if she has family members with the associated gene mutation. If you or the other parent of the child had retinoblastoma, your baby has a 50 percent chance of having the gene mutation that causes the eye cancer, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. If your child is under the age of five years, he is also at a higher risk of retinoblastoma, notes the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Despite childhood retinoblastoma's apparent genetic link, up to 90 percent of cases have no family history of the eye cancer, states the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In cases of hereditary retinoblastoma, children tend to develop the eye cancer at a younger age and in both eyes instead of just one eye, MayoClinic.com points out.
Treatments
Depending on the size and location of the tumors, as well as whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, your child's doctor will recommend one of several treatments, MayoClinic.com notes. Your child's physician may advise treatments using chemotherapy, internal or external beam radiation, laser therapy, cryotherapy or thermotherapy. If the retinoblastoma tumors don't shrink or disappear after trying one or several of these therapies, your child's doctor may recommend surgery to remove the tumors, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. If your child has a large tumor in one eye, the doctor might need to remove the whole eyeball and optic nerve, states the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Considerations
If you know that your family has a history of retinoblastoma, you may want to explore the risk of passing this gene mutation on to your children. You can seek the help of a genetic counselor when you're trying to get pregnant to understand the risks involved if you carry this gene mutation, says the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Also, have your children undergo regular eye exams and screenings. If your child has retinoblastoma, he may require special screenings for other types of cancers as well, because children with retinoblastoma are at a greater risk of other cancers, MayoClinic.com warns.
