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Updated: Aug 17, 2025
Reconstruct Human Retinoblastoma In Vitro
Published on: October 11, 2022
Seasonal Variation in the Diagnosis of Retinoblastoma
Shonar Singh1, Thamanna Nishath2, Ido Didi Fabian3,4
1Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Wills Eye Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Insights
Global retinoblastoma diagnosis shows seasonal patterns, with peaks in January and July. These trends in childhood eye cancer presentation are not linked to country income or climate factors.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Oncology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in children.
- Understanding temporal patterns in diagnosis is crucial for resource allocation and public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify seasonal variations in retinoblastoma diagnosis worldwide.
- To explore potential predictors, such as country income and climate, associated with these seasonal trends.
Main Methods:
- A global, multicenter, 1-year cross-sectional study analyzed treatment-naïve retinoblastoma cases from 2017.
- Data from 3,966 patients across 153 countries were normalized and compared to a uniform distribution simulation.
Main Results:
- Significant seasonal trends in retinoblastoma presentation were observed, with peaks in January and July (p=0.0015).
- No significant association was found between seasonal trends and country income level or climate.
- Patient age and extraocular tumor spread showed a moderate association with the month of presentation.
Conclusions:
- Seasonal variations in retinoblastoma diagnosis exist globally.
- These variations do not appear to be influenced by socioeconomic or climatic factors.
- The impact of seasonal presentation trends on retinoblastoma outcomes requires further investigation.
Purpose:
To determine the seasonal variation in the diagnosis of retinoblastoma in a global sample of children and to investigate predictors of seasonal trends.
Methods:
Data were collected through a global, multicenter, 1-year cross-sectional analysis that included all treatment- naïve retinoblastoma patients presenting to participating centers between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2017. Due to variations in days per month, data were normalized to a 30-day/month calendar. Observed data were compared to a simulation study of expected results using a uniform distribution.
Results:
Patient-level data were available for 4,351 children from 276 centers in 153 countries, of which 3,966 had a month of presentation recorded. There were relative peaks in disease presentation in January and July, with lower counts in November and December (p = .0015). No covariates were found to be significantly associated with the seasonal trend. Two covariates, patient age at presentation and extraocular tumor spread, showed a moderate association with month of presentation.
Conclusion:
Our findings suggest seasonal trends in the presentation of retinoblastoma across the world. However, these trends do not appear to be related to income level of a country, climate, or other covariates. Any connection between seasonal variation of retinoblastoma presentation and retinoblastoma outcomes remains unclear or not present.
