Retinoblastoma (eye cancer in children)
Diagnosingretinoblastoma
Your GP will carry out a'red reflex test' in a darkened roomusing an ophthalmoscope (a magnifyinginstrument witha light at one end).
When a light is shone into your child's eyes, your GP will see a red reflectionif the retina is normal. If the reflection is white,it may be a sign of an eye condition such as cataracts, retinal detachmentor retinoblastoma. In this case, your childwill be urgently referred (within two weeks) to an eye specialist for further investigation.
The eye specialist (ophthalmologist)will examine your child's eyes, and they may carry out another red reflex test. Eye drops will be used to increase the size of your child's pupils, allowing a clear view of the retina at the back of the eye.
Anultrasoundscan is also sometimes used to help diagnose retinoblastoma. This is a painless procedure where gel is rubbed on the outside of the eyelid and a smallultrasound probe is placed on the eyelid, which scans the eye.
After these investigations,if the eye specialist thinks your child has retinoblastoma they'll refer themto one of two specialistretinoblastoma treatment centres,either atThe Royal London Hospital(RLH)or the Birmingham Children's Hospital (BCH).
Your child's appointment should be within a week of being seen at your local eye clinic. At the specialist centre, your child will need to have ageneral anaesthetic so their eyes can be thoroughly examined and a diagnosis of retinoblastoma can be confirmed or ruled out.
Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018
Introduction
Read about retinoblastoma, a rare type of eye cancer that affects young children. Information about symptoms, causes, diagnosis, treatment, plus help and support.
Signs and symptomsof retinoblastoma
Signs and symptoms of retinoblastoma include: an unusual white reflectionin thepupil this may be apparentin photos where only the healthy eye appears red from the flash, or you may notice itin a dark
Whatcauses retinoblastoma?
Retinoblastoma is cancer of the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye.During the early stages of a baby's development, retinal eye cells grow very quickly and then st
Diagnosingretinoblastoma
Your GP will carry out a'red reflex test' in a darkened roomusing an ophthalmoscope (a magnifyinginstrument witha light at one end).When a light is shone into your child's eyes, your GP will see a red
Treatingretinoblastoma
Your child will be treated by a specialist retinoblastoma team at either the Royal London Hospital or Birmingham Children's Hospital.However, if your child needschemotherapy, it will usually be carrie
Screeningfor retinoblastoma
If you're expecting a baby and you had retinoblastoma yourself as a child, or you have a family history of retinoblastoma, it's important to tell your GP or midwife.This is because in some cases retin
Gettingsupport
The specialist teams at the retinoblastoma centres at The Royal London Hospital and Birmingham Children's Hospital have a wealth of knowledge about retinoblastoma. You can discuss any worries or conce
Subscribe
Ask the doctor
Rate this article
Find products