A retinoblastoma tumor is a cancerous tumor that grows in the eye. The tumor begins growing on the retina, the lining in the interior of the eye. The retinoblastoma tumor is a rare cancer primarily found in children under the age of 5. The National Cancer Institute reports that nearly 300 children develop a retinoblastoma tumor each year. This cancer has a high survival rate after treatment.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a retinoblastoma tumor include swelling and redness in the eye. The eyes may appear to look different directions and not move in sync. An area in center of the pupil shines white when a light--from a camera flash, for example--flashes in the eye.
Causes
Genetic mutations are the main cause for a retinoblastoma tumor. Sometimes the mutation is spontaneous, and other times a parent passes on a gene for the cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, if the child has one parent with a retinoblastoma gene, the child has a 50 percent chance of also carrying the gene, but may never develop the tumor. Children with the inherited genes have a greater chance of developing the tumor, and the tumor tends to develop early and in both eyes.
Diagnosis
During an eye exam, the ophthalmologist dilates the eye to obtain a view of the retina. If the child is uncooperative, anesthesia is an option to sedate the child and get a better view the retina. After seeing the tumor, a CT scan or MRI scan provides a better view of the tumor size and position. An oncologist determines the course of chemotherapy treatment, and a surgeon determines surgical options when diagnosing a retinoblastoma tumor.
Treatments
Doctors base treatment options on the size and location of the retinoblastoma tumor. Preserving sight and eliminating the cancer are the two goals when determining treatment. Chemotherapy helps shrink the size of the tumor and kills the cancer cells. In conjunction with chemotherapy, radiation, lasers, heat treatments and cold treatments help kill the cancer and shrink the tumor. If the cancer remains after the tumor is treated, surgeons remove the eye itself. An eye implant and an artificial eye replace the eye with the tumor. The child cannot see out of the artificial eye.
Complications
Complications from retinoblastoma include the loss of vision in the affected eye. After surgery, bleeding and infection are possible complications. Children who successfully beat the cancer have an increased chance of the tumor returning in the future. The children with the inherited gene for the cancer are also predisposed to developing additional types of cancer and must have an oncologist closely follow their health.
Prevention
There is no way to prevent retinoblastoma tumors from occurring. Genetic testing, before having children, allows people to know if they carry the genetic mutation for retinoblastoma tumors. If there is a family history of the eye cancer or a known genetic mutation, frequent eye exams may catch the tumor while it is still small, increasing the possibility of a successful outcome.
