The Truth About Kids’ Eye Cancer
Parents who take their little ones to a pediatrician every month may only be concerned about knowing what vitamins to give to their kids. However, kid’s eye cancer may not be part of the parent-doctor discussion. One case of eye cancer is called pediatric retinoblastoma, and is affecting children below six years old. It is a tumor that starts in the retina and can be detected as early as six months. Early detection is very vital for the child to receive immediate treatment and increase chances of survival. In the US, there is about 300 children affected with pediatric retinoblastoma every year. Symptoms of Pediatric Retinoblastoma Symptoms of Pediatric Retinoblastoma include strabismus or crossed-eyes. This condition needs immediate help from an ophthalmologist. Other signs include poor vision, white pupil or change in size of the pupil. Diagnosis of Pediatric Retinoblastoma In early detection of kids’ eye cancer, a red reflex examination is performed by a pediatrician. More so, this is done after childbirth, before the baby is discharged from neonatal nursery as recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics. If there is an abnormal red reflex found, the child should be immediately referred to an ophthalmologist for funduscopic examination. After the examination is completed, fundus photography will also be performed to identify the size of tumor and stage. Another procedure to be done is the ophthalmic ultrasound that may show bright spots. MRI is also preferred over CT scan to reduce the risk of exposing the child to develop second cancer and avoid unnecessary radiation. Once pediatric retinoblastoma is confirmed, the patient shall be referred to see an ocular oncologist. Treatment of Kid’s Eye Cancer Managing kid’s eye cancer should be tailored-fit to the patient’s case. Factors to be considered include the location of the tumor, size, laterality, and vision prognosis. The patient should be referred to an ocular oncologist who is trained to treat retinoblastoma. Management of pediatric retinoblastoma is rather complex and there are three chosen methods for treatment; enucleation, focal therapy, and chemotherapy. A single treatment or combination may be used depending on the case of the patient and how the child responds to the treatment. Kids’ Eye Cancer Legal Assistance The patient and the family need all the medical help they can get but without proper diagnosis of kids’ eye cancer, no treatment will be administered and it might be too late. If the family has questions about whether there was misdiagnosis, they can seek for legal assistance with a pediatric retinoblastoma attorney. Contact 888-726-6735 now for legal...
read moreAn Insider Look on Pediatric Retinoblastoma
Retinoblastoma is an eye cancer affecting the retina, a thin membrane behind the pupil of the eye. A child may be diagnosed of pediatric retinoblastoma as early as 18 months. This type of eye cancer may be hereditary or non-hereditary. If left untreated, the tumor can spread throughout the retina, vitreous or fluid inside the eyes, eye socket, even the optic nerve and the brain. It can also spread to the bones and the bone marrow. Hereditary About forty percent of patients suffering from retinoblastoma have genetic defects which lead to multiple tumors affecting one or both eyes. It is commonly known as germline retinoblastoma or hereditary. These children are usually diagnosed before they reach 1 year old. And these patients may pass this condition to their future children. Patients diagnosed with eye cancer have higher possibility of developing other types of cancer. Non-hereditary About sixty percent of the patients have non-hereditary pediatric retinoblastoma. Mostly like, these patients have developed tumor in one eye only. On average, this tumor can be diagnosed on two-year-old children. Retinoblastoma Treatment Surgery is performed to remove the affected eye in cases of patients having advanced retinoblastoma. If only one eye is affected and is removed, above 90 percent of patients no longer need more treatment thereafter. However, if both eyes are affected, only one eye is removed, and the rest of the treatment will be focused on saving the other eye. If tumor has spread into tissues around the eyes or eye socket, chemotherapy is administered to patients after the surgery. Chemotherapy uses strong medicines through injection to kill the cancer cells, stop their growth, and avoid growing more cancer cells. Periocular injection is a local treatment to focus on the affected eye. Injection can also be done in the blood stream, for the medicine to protect the body, preventing cancer cells to spread in other parts. Using chemotherapy alone cannot cure this eye cancer, and patients receive another treatment called focal therapy. Focal therapy is a laser treatment therapy or cryotherapy while the patient is under anesthesia. This kind of treatment may be continued even after chemotherapy has been completed. In some cases, tumors developed in the eyes, if relatively small, are treated with focal therapy only. Radiation therapy uses X-rays with high-energy or radiation, killing cancer cells or stopping their growth. This type of treatment is only reserved in case patients have not responded well to other therapies. One type is external radiation which uses a machine to deliver X-ray dose. Another is internal radiation which uses needles, wires or tubes to deliver radiation directly to the part of the body affected by cancer. Kids with eye cancer deserve the best treatment prior to early and proper diagnosis. If the patient has not received proper diagnosis and treatment, the family may seek legal assistance by calling 888-726-6735...
read moreDetecting Pediatric Retinoblastoma: Different Stages, Signs & Symptoms
What Is Pediatric Retinoblastoma? It is a malignant tumor that develops within the eye’s retina, which is the thin nerve tissue of the eye responsible in sensing light and transmitting images to the brain. This disease may occur at any age, but it commonly occurs during the early stages of childhood, usually before a child reaches the age of five. Retinoblastoma may either occur in only one eye or both eyes, but if left untreated, it may metastasize to other parts of the body. The Four Stages Of Pediatric Retinoblastoma In order for the physician to be able to plan the treatment for retinoblastoma, two factors need to be considered to determine the stage of the cancer: the size of the tumor, and its location. Intraocular Retinoblastoma. The cancer cells are found unilaterally or bilaterally, but does not affect the tissues surrounding the eyes or other parts of the face. Extraocular Retinoblastoma. The cancer cells have started spreading to areas outside the eye. The cells may be confined only to the tissues surrounding the eye, or it may have already spread to other parts of the body. Trilateral Retinoblastoma. Sometimes, children with bilateral retinoblastoma may have a third tumor that develops in the pineal gland of the brain (the gland that produces melatonin, which is the sleep hormone). This tumor may cause nerve disorders and must be diagnosed as early as possible, because treating it may require a different approach. Recurrent Retinoblastoma. From the name itself, it means that the cancer cells have returned or progressed after treatment has already been done, and it may recur either in the eye or somewhere else in the body. Common Signs And Symptoms Of Pediatric Retinoblastoma White Pupillary Reflex (Leukocoria). The most common early symptom of the disease. It is diagnosed by shining a light in the eye and the color of the pupil is checked. If the color is red (blood vessels in the back of the eye), the eye is normal; but if the color is white or pink, the eye has retinoblastoma. Lazy Eye (Strabismus). A condition in which one eye is facing a different direction than the other. Though this may have other possible causes in children, it can also be caused by retinoblastoma. When To See A Doctor If you notice something unusual about your child’s eyes, contact your physician as soon as possible. Pediatric Retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer, so the physician may consider other eye conditions first. However, if your family has a history with the disease, then you should consult with the physician and ask when your child should begin undergoing regular eye exams to screen for...
read moreClassifying Pediatric Retinoblastoma and Identifying Preventive Measures
In each year, there are an estimated one in every 15,000 to 20,000 infants born with eye cancer in the United States. During the early times, it was not yet clear if pediatric retinoblastoma was caused by environmental factors or hereditary. But in today’s generation, with the advancement in technology, it has been found that this disease can be inherited from one generation to another. According to recent studies, 6% of newly diagnosed retinoblastoma were inherited from the previous generation, while 94% were sporadic, which means the family history of the patient is negative for the disease. This is only one of the three different classifications of children’s eye cancer, with the other two being bilateral or unilateral, and heritable or non-heritable. Other Classifications of Pediatric Retinoblastoma Unilateral vs. Bilateral Retinoblastoma. The classification of pediatric retinoblastoma when either only one eye (unilateral) or both eyes (bilateral) are affected. According to research, bilateral retinoblastoma may manifest in children at a much earlier age than unilateral retinoblastoma. And in the total number of cases, two-thirds of pediatric retinoblastoma are unilateral, and only one-third of the cases are bilateral. Unilateral retinoblastoma cases are usually not inherited while bilateral cases are almost always inherited. Heritable vs, Non-heritable Retinoblastoma. The classification of pediatric retinoblastoma that identifies whether or not the disease has a chance of being passed on to the next generation. Usually, those patients with retinoblastoma who inherited the disease from their parent/s have a chance of passing it on to their future offsprings, and this covers an estimated 40% of all cases of retinoblastoma. On the other hand, 60% of those cases are non-germinal, which means that the disease was acquired sporadically and is at a greater chance of being non-heritable. Even though a child will inherit the gene from either one or both parents, they will still have a chance of not having the disease but that chance is very slim since their risk of developing retinoblastoma is at 90%. Preventive and Treatment Measures of Pediatric Retinoblastoma As of now, there are no other preventive measures for retinoblastoma except for having the child’s eye examined as early as possible for a higher chance of being able to treat the disease and save the child’s vision. For the treatment, it highly depends on the severity of the disease and whether or not it was inherited genetically. There are both non-surgical and surgical treatment methods for pediatric retinoblastoma. Non-surgical Methods: Chemotherapy. The treatment used to shrink the tumor cells and is usually the first choice of treatment before other options are considered. Cryotherapy. Another non-surgical treatment method used for retinoblastoma when the disease is not yet very severe and the patient may be able to keep at least part of their vision. This method is done by freezing the cancer cells, preventing it from metastasizing. Laser Therapy. One of the last options used when treating retinoblastoma since it has a high risk of putting damage to healthy cells and tissues, and the possibility of triggering other tumors outside of the eye in cases of genetic retinoblastoma. Surgical Method: Enucleation. Also known as eye removal, is done when the disease is very severe that there is a high risk of it spreading to other parts of the body, or the chance of saving the child’s eyesight is...
read moreNeonatal and Infant Screening as a Fundamental Procedure
Pediatric Care plays a vital role in the life of our children. Part of pediatric care is first Neonatal then Infant Screening. This should be done from age zero of a child so as to thoroughly detect abnormalities not only in the physical but genetic diseases as well. Through these procedures or tests, early detection of a child’s deficiencies can help prevent deformities and also can Save a Life. This will also help doctors in addressing the most critical problem of the child and dissect results in order to give correct diagnosis. EYE Screening Our eyes are the window of our soul. A baby can only first see just a light, second colors, and then third faces. It is how important the eyes are. It is one of the most sensitive and critical part of an infant and it should be given a priority through eye screening. Eye specialists use new technologies to detect eye problems especially in infants who are observed to have difficulties in focusing on something and are easily agitated by too much light. Eye screening can detect genetic or acquired form of eye disease. Retinoblastoma (Rb) in Children One type of eye disease is Retinoblastoma. This is a rare disease mostly occur in children ages 2 years old and below and it is commonly known as Pediatric Retinoblastoma. It is where a cancer cell is progressively mutating to kill the healthy cells which develops into a tumor in the retina and will spread further on other parts of the body like the brain, spine, skull, and bone marrow. Can Retinoblastoma be treated? Retinoblastoma is treatable but is dependent on how early the cancer is detected. Also, the parents play a very important role in communicating to their doctor or specialist of all family histories and backgrounds especially if the same happened to a relative or a member of the family. If it is already a genetic disease they suspect to be passed-on to their child, early screening like Prenatal Screening for retinoblastoma is done with the parent’s approval of the test. This is a very sensitive kind of test so if the parents decided to discard this option they are advised to do Newborn screening immediately after giving birth. This is to check if gene mutation is inherited by their child and also to monitor the progression of the disease. Regular eye check-ups is then necessary especially if it is a hereditary type of retinoblastoma. Forms of Retinoblastoma There are two forms of Retinoblastoma: Heritable and Non-heritable. Heritable retinoblastoma is when there is a family history that the disease already occurred. Second, if there is a mutation or change in the RB1 gene. In this form, a tumor maybe developed not only in one eye or both eyes are affected. Non-heritable retinoblastoma developed much later in the child’s life compared with a child that has a heritable form of retinoblastoma. Most cases occur when the child ages 5 years old and below. This is caused by an isolated genetic mutation in which both parents don’t have the said gene. The cancer appears only in one eye of the patient and if treated earlier, have a higher chance of recovery and non-occurrence of the cancer. Physicians still don’t know the cause of a non-heritable retinoblastoma that develops to children. Treatment for Retinoblastoma Retinoblastoma treatment is a journey, not only to the child but to the parents as well. There are different ways in treating retinoblastoma. It depends on what stage the prognosis of the doctor is and what type of treatment should the child undergo. Here...
read moreBreakthroughs in Retinoblastoma Research May Lead to Better Cancer Treatments
Pediatric retinoblastoma has been central to cancer research because it develops specifically in response to the loss or change of just one gene. When the single gene associated with retinoblastoma – RB1 – is not working as usual, cone cells in the retina can basically multiply without regulation. Now it’s been found that the oncogene MDM2 can also be instrumental in cell proliferation. This finding combined with other research pinpointing a specific protein (YM155) that prevented the death of cancer cells may be critical in improving retinoblastoma treatment outcomes. Further, these findings could have an impact on cancer treatment in general as doctors and researchers begin to further understand whether these genes and proteins have an impact on the growth and cell death of other types of cancers. MDM2 and Retinoblastoma Cells An oncogene is a gene that can assist with transforming a body cell into a cancer cell. It’s been found that MDM2 blocks a specific protein (p53) that will ordinarily cause excess cells generated during unregulated proliferation to die. MDM2 also regulates the protein MYCN that plays a role in promoting cell proliferation – not just in retinoblastoma, but in other child cancers as well. By learning more about how MDM2 works to regulate MYCN and what causes MDM2 to stop blocking p53, researchers may be able to develop medications and therapies that specifically target these proteins in effective ways. This could improve outcomes for retinoblastoma patients and potentially patients with other types of cancers, as well. Protein YM155 and Apoptosis Protein YM155 is another protein that has been found to prevent apoptosis, or cell death. This protein can be a hindrance when treating retinoblastoma, mitigating the effectiveness of chemotherapy and other types of therapies in actually killing the cancer cells. By utilizing therapies that inhibit YM155 when administering treatment for retinoblastoma, researchers have found that the therapies are more effective than when administered alone. By putting together the findings regarding these particular genes and proteins, researchers and doctors may be able to better understand how retinoblastoma cells survive in patients and ultimately how to better target the retinoblastoma cells with fewer side effects. Researchers may be able to develop medications and therapies that work faster and are more effective in eliminating the cancer and preventing secondary cancers. If therapies are developed that more effectively treat retinoblastoma, some of the same findings could be applied to treatments developed for other types of cancers, as well. These breakthroughs could potentially have benefits for many cancer patients of all ages and...
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If you are looking for an experienced attorney who is passionate about helping children with pediatric retinoblastoma and their families rebuild their life, please call me:
888.726.6735
Bill Ruffier
Board Certified
Civil Trial Attorney
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