Retinoblastoma is a rare type of eye cancer that usually occurs in young children under the age of five. Retinoblastoma is often successfully treated if detected early. More than 9 out of 10 of her children with this condition are cured. Retinoblastoma can affect one or both eyes.
In the very early stages, the eye has very rapidly proliferating cells called retinoblasts. They later stop growing and develop into mature retinal cells that can detect light. Instead, they grow out of control and develop into a cancerous tumour called retinoblastoma. If the tumour is not treated, cells will continue to grow and cancer will fill most of the eyeball.
Most retinoblastomas are detected early and successfully treated before they spread outside the eye.
Treatment of retinoblastoma depends on the stage of the tumour. Retinoblastoma has two main stages. Intraocular retinoblastoma is when the cancer is completely inside the eye and has not spread. Extraocular retinoblastoma is when the cancer has spread beyond the eye into surrounding tissues.
There are different treatments for retinoblastoma. Your child's treatment will depend on several factors, including stage and risk group. Treatment of retinoblastoma can include one or more of the following: cryotherapy, laser therapy, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or surgery.
Can retinoblastoma be a deadly cancer?
Retinoblastoma is often curable if diagnosed early. However, if not treated immediately, the cancer can spread beyond the eye to other parts of the body. This advanced retinoblastoma can be life-threatening.
How can I tell if my baby has retinoblastoma?
Signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma include: Abnormal white reflexes in the pupils — often look like cat eyes reflecting light. In photos, only healthy eyes may see red in flash or may notice dark or artificial colours. lit room. squint.
How can I prevent retinoblastoma in babies?
However, there are no known avoidable risk factors for retinoblastoma. If your child has retinoblastoma, it is important to know that you or your child did nothing to cause it. Parents who are infected may pass on changes in the RB1 gene that put their children at risk.
How is retinoblastoma inherited?
Hereditary retinoblastoma is passed from parent to child in an autosomal dominant manner. This means that only one parent needs one copy of the mutated gene to have an increased risk of passing on retinoblastoma to her offspring. If a parent carries the mutated gene, each child has a 50% chance of inheriting that gene.
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