LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP OF CHILDREN WITH RETINOBLASTOMA

• Published in: Pediatric hematology and oncology Vol. 18; no. 3; pp. 173 - 179
• Main Authors: Nahum, M. Peretz, Gdal-On, M., Kuten, A., Herzl, G., Horovitz, Y., Arush, M. Weyl Ben
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Informa UK Ltd 2001; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; Eye Enucleation; Eye Neoplasms - drug therapy; Eye Neoplasms - psychology; Eye Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Eye Neoplasms - surgery; Eye Neoplasms - therapy; Female; Follow-UP; Follow-Up Studies; Growth Disorders - epidemiology; Humans; Infant; Male; Medical sciences; Neoplasms, Second Primary - epidemiology; Neuropsychological Tests; Ocular; Ophthalmology; Pediatric; Radiotherapy; Retinoblastoma; Retinoblastoma - drug therapy; Retinoblastoma - psychology; Retinoblastoma - radiotherapy; Retinoblastoma - surgery; Retinoblastoma - therapy; Retrospective Studies; Survivors; Time Factors; Tumors and pseudotumors of the eye, orbit, eyelid, lacrimal apparatus; Vision Disorders - epidemiology; Vision Disorders - etiology; Visual Acuity; Wechsler Scales; Human; Nervous system diseases; Retinopathy; Sequela; Malignant tumor; Radiotherapy; Long term; Eye disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; Surgery; Complication; Evolution; Retinoblastoma; Child; Age
• ISSN: 0888-0018; 1521-0669
• DOI: 10.1080/08880010151114769

Twenty-one pediatric retinoblastoma (RB) patients treated between 1976 and 1994 were evaluated for late treatment-related complications. Median age at diagnosis was 24 months; median age at follow-up was 12 years; median follow-up time was 12 years. Of the 21 patients, 14 had unilateral RB and 7 had bilateral RB. Thirteen patients had received external radiotherapy and 8 children were treated by chemotherapy. Twenty-one patients had undergone enucleation. Radiation-induced cataracts were found in 3 patients, radiation retinopathy in 1, enucleation and postradiotherapy contracted socket in 1, very low visual acuity postradiotherapy in 3, severe hypotelorism in 2, growth hormone deficiency in 2, neurocognitive disorders in 6, and orbital deformation due to radiation bone atrophy was moderate-severe in 12 patients. Azoospermia was found in 1 patient treated by cyclophosphamide and vincristine. The most frequent sequela in this group of RB-cured children were postradiotherapy orbital deformation due to bone atrophy and neurocognitive disabilities. Late radiation effects must be avoided by using modern, innovative, and more sophisticated radiotherapeutic techniques. Late treatment-related complications justify the long-term follow-up of childhood RB survivors.