Related Experiment Videos
[Survival and clinical features of retinoblastoma]
F Cerecedo Díaz1, E López Aguilar, H Rivera Márquez
1Servicio de Oncología Pediátrica. Hospital del Pediatría del Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social. Mexico. drarias@hotmail.com
Insights
Retinoblastoma (RB), a common childhood eye cancer, shows improved survival rates with early diagnosis and multidisciplinary care. This study highlights key symptoms, treatments, and outcomes in a pediatric cohort.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Ophthalmology
- Cancer Research
Context:
- Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common intraocular tumor in children, accounting for 3% of childhood neoplasms.
- Incidence in Mexico ranges from 4-24 cases/million for patients under 15, with 95% of cases in infants and preschoolers.
Purpose:
- To describe the clinical characteristics, treatment, and outcomes of retinoblastoma in a pediatric cohort.
- To evaluate disease-free survival and relapse rates in children with RB.
Summary:
- An observational, retrospective study included 56 children with RB. Median age was 24 months; 42 had unilateral RB. Presenting symptoms included leukokoria, strabismus, and reduced visual acuity.
- Staging by Prats' classification revealed distribution across stages I-IV. Histological analysis showed varying differentiation levels. All patients had surgery, with chemotherapy for early stages.
- Relapse occurred in 26.7% of patients, and 10-year disease-free survival was 87.5%.
Impact:
- Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management significantly improve prognosis and survival for retinoblastoma.
- Findings align with other published series, reinforcing the importance of timely intervention and comprehensive care for pediatric RB.
Introduction:
Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most frequent intraocular tumor in the pediatric age group, representing 3 % of all childhood neoplasms. In Mexico, the annual incidence varies according to the geographical area studied, ranging from 4-24 cases/million in patients younger than 15 years. Ninety-five percent of cases occur in infants and pre-school children.
Patients And Method:
An observational, retrospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study of all children with RB admitted to the Oncology Department of the Pediatric Hospital of the National Medical Center in a 10-year period was performed.
Results:
Fifty-six patients were included. The median age was 24 months. Forty-two children presented unilateral RB. Symptoms at diagnosis were leukokoria, strabismus and reduced visual sharpness. Distribution according to Prats' classification was the following: stage I, 5 patients; stage II, 32; stage III, 14; stage IV, 5. Histological analysis revealed 24 patients with poorly differentiated RB, 16 with well-differentiated RB, 13 with moderately differentiated RB and 7 with undifferentiated RB. In eight patients histological type was not identified. In 12 of the 56 patients cytogenetic and molecular studies were performed. All patients underwent surgery. Patients in the early stages were treated with chemotherapy. A total of 26.7 % of the group presented relapse. The disease-free survival at 10 years was 87.5 %.
Conclusions:
As with other childhood neoplasms, early diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of RB has improved prognosis and survival. The symptoms, treatment and survival reported in this pediatric cohort are similar to those of other published series.