Retinoblastoma affects 2k Indians every year

Several cancers are treatable as well as preventable but lack of awareness make them problematic. One common example of such a cancer is Retinoblastoma.

Known to affect about 2,000 people in India every year, Retinoblastoma is the most common among the cancers of the eye in children under the age of five. 

About 92% of such children live in the developing nations but many children lose their eye sight or die from this cancer due to lack of awareness of the initial signs of presentation, poor access to proper treatment or lack of finances to finish the treatment. 

Wwhat happens in Retinoblastoma?

Retinoblastoma is a cancer that starts in the retina, the very back part of the eye. It occurs when nerve cells in the retina develop genetic mutations. These mutations cause the cells to continue growing and multiply, leading to death of healthy cells.

Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Immediate Past National President Indian Medical Association (IMA), said, “In children with retinoblastoma, the disease often affects only one eye. However, one out of three children with retinoblastoma develops cancer in both eyes."

He further explained, "One of the first common signs of this cancer is a visible whiteness in the pupil called ‘cat's eye reflex’ or leukocoria. This becomes more noticeable in dim light or in photographs taken with a flash."

 On World Cancer Day, it is important to raise awareness on the fact that Retinoblastoma is often curable when it is diagnosed early. However, if it is not treated promptly, this cancer can spread beyond the eye to other parts of the body. This advanced form of retinoblastoma can be life-threatening.

Some other symptoms of this condition include poorly aligned or "wandering" eye, known as strabismus; reddish pupil, often with pain; larger-than-normal pupil; different-colored irises; and poor vision or decreased vision.