Retinoblastoma- Mat Siebert

Retinoblastoma is basically a cancer of the eye. The tumor is cause by a mutation of the RB1-gene. While mostly occurring in children under the age of 5, adult cases have been recorded. Patients with retinoblastoma nearly always go blind due to the fact that the retina is the part of the eye that is necessary for vision. The only real effective treatment for retinoblastoma is removal of the eye before the cancer spreads to the brain through the optic nerve.
75% of cases of retinoblastoma effect only one of the person’s eyes. When left untreated, retinoblastoma is nearly always fatal. But with modern treatment there is a 90% survival rate. Treatments for retinoblastoma include everything from Enucleation, removal of the eye, to laser treatment. In laser treatment, a laser is used to kill all of the blood vessels around the tumor.