World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week

World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week is observed globally in May, usually during the second week (11th-17th), to raise awareness about retinoblastoma. This rare and aggressive eye cancer primarily affects young children, typically under the age of five. The awareness week aims to educate the public and healthcare professionals about early detection, prompt treatment, and support for affected families. A white glow in a child's eye, seen in flash photos or dim light, is the most common early sign of this cancer. Ninety percent of children are diagnosed because a parent sees this sign, but the time delay between first seeing the sign and seeking medical help is often several months or more. Ninety-six percent of children are cured today in the developed world, but many lose one or both eyes or suffer significant vision loss due to late diagnosis. Curative treatment often has lifelong physical and psychosocial impacts on young children.

- DR NAZIA ANJUM

The most prevalent malignant intraocular tumor in children is retinoblastoma. The estimated incidence is from 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 live births, although it varies. About 1,600 to 2,000 new cases of retinoblastoma occur in India each year, making it the country with the highest incidence. Most retinoblastoma cases are diagnosed by an ophthalmologist between 9 and 36 months of age. Approximately 60 to 70 percent of retinoblastomas are unilateral and unifocal, which are probably sporadic, whereas 30 to 40 percent are unilateral and bilateral or multifocal, which are heritable. To estimate prognosis, determine the risk of retinoblastoma in the family, and triage the frequency of screening of the contralateral eye and siblings, all parents and children with retinoblastoma should have an appropriate genetic test.