How Smartphone Cameras Can Detect an Aggressive Form of Eye Cancer

An ordinary phone camera can catch signs of retinoblastoma, an aggressive cancer that mostly affects children
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A rare form of cancer that mostly affects children can be detected through a cellphone camera, thanks to a telltale pupil glow.

Retinoblastoma is especially aggressive, and if left untreated, it can be fatal. Even when non-fatal, it results in blindness and the patient often has to have the eye removed. One way to catch it early, though, is with a camera: Usually it shows up in photos as a whitish glow on the pupil—often reflected light emitted by the camera flash. While the glow can happen for other reasons, a child should see a doctor for a full diagnosis if it appears in a photo of them, since diagnosis and treatment could save their vision, the eye, or their life.

As The Verge reports, that just happened with a mom from Illinois who saw a story about this fact on Facebook and snapped a photo of her two-year-old son. Sure enough, she saw the telltale glow and got him treatment early, when it can make a difference.

It's another reminder that the phones we carry in our pockets every day can be lifesaving devices.


Source: The Verge

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