Retinoblastoma (eye cancer in children)
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 stop growing. However, in rare cases, one or more cells continue to grow and form a cancer called retinoblastoma.
In about 4 out of 10 (40%) of cases, retinoblastoma is caused by a faulty gene, which often affects both eyes (bilateral). The faulty genemay be inherited from a parent, or a change to the gene (mutation) may occur at an early stage of the child's development in the womb.
It's not known what causes the remaining 60% of retinoblastoma cases. In these cases, there's no faulty gene and only one eye is affected (unilateral).
Around 50 to 60 children are diagnosed with retinoblastoma in the UK each year.
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
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