Table of contents:
- What is eye cancer (retinoblastoma)?
- Cat's eye in retinoblastoma
- How can retinoblastoma occur?
- Two types of retinoblastoma
- 1. Retinoblastoma heredity (hereditary)
- 2. Non-hereditary retinablastoma (not hereditary)
- How does retinoblastoma grow and spread?
- Can retinoblastoma be prevented?
Be aware that if you look at your child's eyes like a cat's eye, one of the worst risks is that your child develops eye cancer or retinoblastoma.
What is eye cancer (retinoblastoma)?
Cancer is a cell whose growth and development are not controlled. While retinoblastoma is uncontrolled cell growth that occurs in the retina of the eye. Eye cancer itself is an incidence of cancer that almost all cases occur in children. Generally, eye cancer occurs in children under 5 years of age. There are at least 200 to 300 children diagnosed with retinoblastoma each year.
Research that has been conducted at national referral hospitals throughout Indonesia, found that there are 10 to 12% of the total cases of retinoblastoma that occur. Girls and boys have equal chances of developing retinoblastoma. Approximately 60% of the total cases of eye cancer that exist, affect only one eye. But in the other 40% of cases, sufferers get eye cancer in both their eyeballs.
Cat's eye in retinoblastoma
Symptoms that are often seen in people with retinoblastoma are signs of a white bead in the eye, or even "cat's eye". A white bead looks like a white shadow that appears in the middle of the eye. Meanwhile, "cat's eye" is a term that refers to the eye that will glow yellowish in a dark place, such as a cat's eye at night. If you see these signs in a child, then you should immediately have the condition checked and consult a doctor. Proper handling and can diagnose retinoblastoma as early as possible the child's vision ability.
In addition, crossed eyes, red eyes, enlarged eyeballs, inflammation of the eyeball, and blurred vision are other symptoms that often appear in people with retinoblastoma.
How can retinoblastoma occur?
When the baby is still in the womb, the eyes are the first organs to grow and develop. The eye has cells called retinal cells that fill the retina of the eye. At some point, the retinal cells stop multiplying, but ripen the existing retinal cells. However, in retinoblastoma, the retinal cells do not stop multiplying themselves so that their growth is not controlled. This uncontrolled growth occurs because of a mutation of a gene in retinal cells, namely the RB1 gene. As a result of the mutation, the RB1 gene becomes an abnormal gene which then results in retinoblastoma.
Two types of retinoblastoma
There are two types of the RB1 gene that occur in retinoblastoma, namely:
1. Retinoblastoma heredity (hereditary)
About 1 in 3 children who have retinoblastoma, have the RB1 gene that is abnormal from birth. Although the abnormal gene is present from birth, most of the children who suffer from this type of retinoblastoma do not have a family history of cancer. Children who have the abnormal RB1 gene from birth usually have retinoblastoma in both eyes, also known as bilateral retinoblastoma, some even accompanied by the appearance of a tumor in the eye, which is referred to as multifocal retinoblastoma.
In addition, children who have the abnormal RB1 gene may be at risk of developing cancer in other parts of the body, such as the brain. Children who have this type of retinoblastoma have a risk of developing other types of cancer even though they have recovered from retinoblastoma. As many as 40% of retinoblastoma sufferers suffer from hereditary retinoblastoma, in which 10% of cases have a family history and 30% occur due to gene mutations during pregnancy.
2. Non-hereditary retinablastoma (not hereditary)
About 2 out of 3 children who have retinoblastoma, have the RB1 gene abnormality when they enter childhood. The gene abnormality usually appears in only one part of the eye and it is not known how it happened. This type of retinoblastoma does not have a lower risk of developing cancer in other parts of the body than retinoblastoma due to heredity. Usually, this occurs in children who are over 1 year old or between 2 and 3 years of age.
How does retinoblastoma grow and spread?
If the retinoblastoma is not treated quickly, the abnormal retinal cells will grow rapidly and aggressively fill the eyeball space. The abnormal cells grow to other parts of the eye and eventually enlarge into tumors. When the tumor blocks the circulation of blood that should flow to the eye, the pressure in the eye will increase. This can cause glaucoma, which causes eye pain and loss of vision.
Can retinoblastoma be prevented?
Because retinoblastoma is more influenced by genetics, the best prevention that can be done is to be able to find the incidence of retinoblastoma as early as possible. All newborns should have eye examinations and this is done regularly during the first year of life. Babies born to families who have a previous history of retinoblastoma, should have more frequent eye examinations, such as once a week for the first few months and then once a month. Children who have retinoblastoma if treated at an early stage, the chance for a complete recovery can reach 95%.
