Retinoblastoma

[Jessica]

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina, the light-sensing area at the back of the eye.

Retinoblastomas result from a genetic mutation.
The child may have a white pupil or cross-eyes or occasionally vision problems.
Doctors can often diagnose retinoblastoma by looking into the eye with a special instrument while the child is under anesthesia.
Treatment may involve surgery, chemotherapy, or sometimes radiation therapy.

(See also Overview of Childhood Cancer.)
Retinoblastomas represent about 3% of childhood cancers and almost always occur before 2 years of age. They occur in both eyes at the same time in about 25% of children.
This cancer results from a mutation in certain genes that control eye development. Sometimes, the mutation is inherited from a parent. At other times, it occurs spontaneously (not inherited) very early during development of the embryo.
When the mutation is inherited, affected children may pass the mutation on to their children. There is a 50% chance that the mutation will be passed on if one parent has the mutation. If the mutation is passed on, most of the offspring will develop retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is hereditary in all children with cancer in both eyes and in 15% of children with cancer in one eye.
At other times, the mutation does not occur until later in embryonic development and only in the embryo’s eye cells. In such cases, the mutation cannot be passed on to offspring.
Retinoblastoma does not usually spread beyond the eye, but it occasionally spreads to the brain along the optic nerve (the nerve that leads from the eye to the brain). It may rarely spread to other locations, such as the bone marrow and bones.

[Marquetta]

A rare malignant tumor of the retina, affecting young children.