Aravind Eye Hospital celebrates ‘retinoblastoma awareness week’ with survivors

Aravind Eye Hospital raises awareness for retinoblastoma, sharing stories of survival and treatment for the rare cancer.

Marking the retinoblastoma awareness week, Aravind Eye Hospital here organised a programme on Saturday, where the survivors shared their experience of recovering from the rare form of cancer and achieving in their professional and personal life.  

R. Usha Kim, Head, Orbit, Oculoplasty, Ocular Oncology and Ocular Prosthetics, speaking during the sidelines of the event, said that about 205 survivors of retinoblastoma, starting from children to grown-up adults, shared their experience in overcoming the arduous journey involving various treatments and medications.

“The sharing is to instil confidence in people who are diagnosed with a similar form of cancer,” she added.  

Not just the sharing, the event would also educate parents who would be the first to identify the condition in their children as it mostly affects children from 18 months to three years, Dr. Usha said.

Adding on to the expensive procedures required to treat retinoblastoma, she elaborated that white reflex which forms in the eye was the earlier symptom that could be identified in the affected children.

“Parents when they see such a white reflex in their children’s eyes, they should not hesitate to visit the doctor. Even paediatricians, who diagnose the children should be able to identify it,” she added.

When doctors in the hospital realized the seriousness of this type of cancer back in the 2000s and the rate at which it was affecting babies, Aravind Eye Hospital decided to treat the type of cancer at the hospital in Madurai itself, she added.