children s health issues
Retinoblastoma
Treatment of Retinoblastoma
Surgical removal of the eye Chemotherapy Radiation therapy, lasers, and cryotherapy (See also Cancer Treatment Principles and When only one eye is affected and that eye has little or no vision, doctors usually remove the entire eyeball along with part of the optic nerve. When the cancer affects both eyes, doctors try to preserve some vision by treating the cancer without removing both eyeballs, although they sometimes remove the most severely affected eye. Treatment options include chemotherapy drugs injected directly through the main artery that provides blood to the eye (called intra-arterial chemotherapy), Radiation Therapy for Cancer , lasers, freezing (cryotherapy), or, for very small cancers, patches containing radioactive material (brachytherapy). Combinations of Chemotherapy and Other Systemic Cancer Treatments given by mouth or vein (such as Radiation therapy to the eye has serious consequences, such as cataracts, decreased vision, chronic dry eye, and wasting of the tissue around the eye. The bones of the face may not grow normally, resulting in a deformed appearance. Additionally, the risk of a developing a second cancer increases in the area where radiation is done. After treatment, a doctor who specializes in treating cancer in children (pediatric oncologist) and an ophthalmologist should continue to monitor the child because of the risk of a second cancer developing. 