The evolution of retinoblastoma treatment over the past 15 years has resulted in a higher likelihood of vision preservation without compromising survival, according to research released today at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 21 st Annual Meeting. Retinoblastoma, a rare eye cancer that affects young children, carries a risk of impaired vision and removal of one or both eyes. It is fatal if left untreated.
The study, "Advancement in Super-Selective Catheterization and Drug Selection for Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma: A 15-year Evolution," reviewed how children received intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC), the gold standard for treating retinoblastoma, by delivering chemotherapy directly to the affected eye. Using IAC helps to minimize the need to remove a patient's affected eye and maximizes their ability to see after treatment, as well as their potential to survive the cancer. The research team -; composed of neurointerventionalists from New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, and ophthalmologic oncologists at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center -; reviewed medical records for 571 patients separated into three cohorts five years apart.
The data was evaluated to determine how routes of vascular access to the ophthalmic artery has evolved over time, how many patients have had complications from the procedure, and what combinations of chemotherapy drugs patients have received. Researchers found that, of a total of 2,402 attem.