Retinoblastoma treatment
The treatment of retinoblastoma is often dependent on the
individual sufferer in question. Many variables must be
considered by the doctors involved. The age of the child,
whether or not the cancer has spread to other areas of the body
such as the brain or central nervous system and if the
retinoblastoma has presented in just one or both eyes are just
some of the considered questions.
A lack of treatment would result in the probable death of the
child, and naturally, this is not a common option. Depending on
how early the retinoblastoma is diagnosed, the goal of treatment
varies. Sometimes the goal is to save life. At other times, the
considerations are more cosmetic such as preserving the
appearance of the eye and face or perhaps more importantly,
maintaining the vision in that eye or both eyes.
The most commonly used treatment for Retinoblastoma is called
Enucleation. Enucleation is a procedure whereby the eye is
surgically removed in order that the cancer itself can be
removed. The child is put to sleep and the eye is then removed.
The operation typically takes less than an hour to complete and
is not painful. The areas surrounding the eye, such as brow and
eyelid, are also not negatively affected.
Children who have undergone an enucleation frequently return
home the same day. A ball of plastic or rubber is placed where
the original eye was, in order that there is no cavity. After
the eye socket heals properly, the child can then be examined
for future cosmetic alterations to improve the look of the eye,
which will at first appear not dissimilar to the skin underneath
the lips.
The child can typically be considered for prosthesis three weeks
after surgery. The prosthesis is made of a plastic substance and
is designed by a technical artist to look exactly like the
child's other, real eye. Because of the restrictions on muscle
control, the eye does not move quite as naturally as a real eye
would. Normally, these prosthetic eyes will move up and down
fairly well but there may be some problems moving side to side.
However this is purely cosmetic, as the eye does not do any
'seeing' for the child. As yet, there is no safe way to
transplant or replace a real eye.