The retina is the delicate layer that lines the inside of your eye. Retinoblastoma is a type of eye cancer that starts there. While it infrequently affects adults, it primarily affects young children.
Nerve tissue in your retina is responsible for detecting light as it enters your eye from the front. Your brain interprets signals from your retina as images after receiving them from the retina via the optic nerve.
Retinoblastoma, the most frequent type of eye cancer in children, is an uncommon kind of the disease. You can get retinablastoma in one or both eyes.
Symptoms
Retinoblastoma symptoms are uncommon because the disease primarily affects newborns and young children. Symptoms you could observe include:
- a white tint in the pupil’s central circle when light is shining in it, like when a flash shot is taken of the youngster
- eyes that seem to be directed in many directions
- inadequate eyesight
- redness in the eyes
- swollen eyes
Causes
Genetic alterations in retinal nerve cells lead to retinalblastoma. When healthy cells would normally stop growing and proliferating, these mutations allow the cells to keep going. A tumor is created when this mass of cells grows.
The eye and adjacent structures may be further invaded by retinoblastoma cells. Furthermore, retinalblastoma has the ability to metastasis, or spread, to other parts of the body, including as the spine and brain.
It is unknown what causes the genetic mutation that results in retinoblastoma in the majority of cases. On the other hand, offspring could receive a genetic mutation from one or both parents.
Prevention
There is no known way to avoid retinoblastoma because doctors are unsure of what causes the majority of cases of the illness.
Prevention in families where retinoblastoma is inherited
Your doctor might advise genetic testing if your child is diagnosed with retinoblastoma in order to ascertain whether an inherited gene mutation caused the malignancy. It is possible that your physician will suggest that you consult with a genetic counselor to determine whether genetic testing is right for you.
Families can plan their children’s medical care accordingly by using genetic testing to determine whether their children may have an elevated chance of retinoblastoma. For example, eye checks might start shortly after delivery or even before birth in certain cases. In this manner, retinoblastoma can be identified at an early stage, while there is still hope for a treatment and eyesight preservation because the tumor is still small.
It is possible to ascertain via genetic testing whether:
- Retinoblastoma in your child puts them at risk for other malignancies that are connected.
- It’s possible that your child’s retinoblastoma is caused by a gene mutation that will be inherited by their offspring.
- There’s a chance your other kids could develop retinoblastoma or other related tumors.
- Future offspring could inherit the genetic mutation from you and your partner.
