Retinoblastoma is an eye cancer that begins in the retina — the sensitive lining on the inside of your eye. Retinoblastoma most commonly affects young children, but can rarely occur in adults.

Your retina is made up of nerve tissue that senses light as it comes through the front of your eye. The retina sends signals through your optic nerve to your brain, where these signals are interpreted as images. A rare form of eye cancer, Retinoblastoma is the most common form of cancer affecting the eye in children. Retinoblastoma may occur in one or both eyes.

Signs and Symptoms of Retinoblastoma include :



• Eye Pain
• Redness in the White of the Eye
• Vision Problems
• An Eye or Eyes that Appear larger than normal
• Eye Swelling

Retinoblastoma Treatments :



• Cryotherapy : A touch with a super-cooled metal probe freezes and kills cancer cells. This works best on small tumors near the front of the eye.
• Thermotherapy : A special laser kills cancer cells with heat. Doctors use it by itself on small tumors or along with other treatments for larger tumors.
• Chemotherapy : Powerful drugs help shrink the tumor ahead of other treatments. If the cancer hasn’t spread, the drugs may be injected directly into the eye or into the blood vessels that lead to it. If the cancer is likely to spread or has already spread, your child will probably take the medications by mouth or through a vein so they can work throughout the body.
• Laser Therapy : A different kind of laser targets and destroys the blood vessels that supply the tumor. This works for small tumors in the back of the eye.
• Surgery : If the tumor is very large by the time it’s found, it may not be possible to save the child’s vision. In these cases, the eye may be removed.
• Radiation Therapy : There are two kinds of Radiation Therapy. For small tumors, a surgeon can sew a disc that has radioactive material inside it onto the eyeball near the tumor.