[Radiotherapy in the multimodality treatment of retinoblastomas in children]

The results of multimodality therapy of 50 children with uni- or bilateral retinoblastoma were assessed. Gamma-beam therapy with the application of a special protective collimator and polychemotherapy were used as modalities supplementing eye extirpation. Some patients were irradiated prior to operation, the others following it. Despite a slight decrease in a tumor radiation dose in the first group, 2-year survival rates in both groups were the same. Of 32 patients 30 (94%) in both groups have been alive for 2 yrs. without signs of disease after multimodality therapy. Patients with Stage I retinoblastoma were subjected to chemo- and radiotherapy; 16 out of 18 patients have been alive for 2 yrs. It has been stressed that radiation therapy is an important component in multimodality therapy. It can be used as a modality of the combined method of tumor surgical removal or as a method of radical therapy in early forms of the disease.