Your child’s eye surgeon must have informed you that your child has “Retinoblastoma” for which immediate treatment is necessary. Retinoblastoma is a cancerous growth that occurs in the eye.

Tumours are of 2 types. The cancerous tumour can spread to other parts of the body and can potentially cause death. The other “benign” form of tumour does not spread like a cancerous one and is thus relatively safer.

Retinoblastoma is a cancerous tumour needing immediate attention. Retinoblastoma can present as a white reflex at the pupil of the eye (Cat’s eye like appearance) or as a squint.

Rarely, if ignored in the early stages, it can cause protrusion of the eyeball.

Retionoblastoma originates from the retina, the light sensitive layer, in eye. It is the commonest eye tumor of the eye in childhood.

This tumor may involve one (75% of cases) or both (25% of cases) eyes in a child. Untreated, retinoblastoma is almost always fatal, hence the importance of early diagnosis and treatment.