Retinoblastoma is cancer of the eye. It starts in the retina, the layer of nerve cells lining the back of the eye. It happens when nerve cells in the retina change, growing in size and number. The cells eventually form a tumor. The cells usually spread in and around the eye. They can also spread to other parts of the body, including the brain and spine. Children with retinoblastoma may have inherited a gene from their parents that causes this disease. These children tend to get retinoblastoma at an earlier age, and in both eyes.
Retinoblastoma occurs when nerve cells in the retina develop genetic mutations. These mutations cause the cells to continue growing and multiplying when healthy cells would die. Generally, it's not clear what causes the genetic mutations that lead to retinoblastoma. However, it's possible for children to inherit a genetic mutation from their parents.
Doctors usually use a combination of treatments such as:
Frequently asked questions
Q.Can retinoblastoma kill you?
Retinoblastoma, a childhood cancer of the eye, can do more than blind you: They can kill you. These cancers are rare, but are just as serious and potentially as lethal as any cancer that is more widely known.
Q.Can retinoblastoma be prevented?
The risk for many cancers can be reduced by avoiding certain risk factors, such as smoking or exposure to hazardous chemicals in the workplace. But there are no known avoidable risk factors for retinoblastoma.
Q.How early can retinoblastoma be detected?
Most heritable retinoblastomas develop and diagnosed in infants only a few months old. If tumors develop in both eyes, it happens at the same time. But in some children, tumors develop in one eye first, then a few months (or even years) later in the other eye.
Q.Is retinoblastoma curable?
More than 9 in 10 children with retinoblastoma are cured. The chances of long-term survival are much better if the tumor has not spread outside the eye.
Q.What happens if Retinoblastoma goes untreated?
Untreated, retinoblastoma can spread widely: Throughout the retina. Throughout the fluid inside the eye (also called the vitreous). Large tumors may detach from the retina and break into smaller tumors, called vitreous seeds.
