Outcome of 6 Cycles of Primary Intravenous Chemotherapy of Retinoblastoma Patients in Terms of Recurrence in a Tertiary Health Care Hospital

Objective: To determine the frequency of recurrence after 6 cycles of primary intravenous chemotherapy of retinoblastoma patients in a tertiary health care hospital.

Materials and Methods: This study was conducted at the Department of Ophthalmology, Lahore General Hospital, Lahore from March 15, 2020 to September 15, 2020. A total of 81 patients were selected randomly from outpatient department. Performa designed was used to collect data including name, age, gender, registration number, laterality, age at diagnosis, group of disease, treatment given and outcomes of given treatment. International Intraocular Retinoblastoma Classification (IIRC) was used for classification of the disease. The chemotherapy regimen used was vincristine, etoposide and carboplatin (VEC). A total of 6 cycles were given at 3 weekly intervals. Serial monitoring of the tumors was done to rule out any local recurrence or side effects of therapy.

Results: Total 81 children presenting with retinoblastoma were enrolled in this study. There were 52(64.2%) male and 29(35.8%) female. The mean age of patients was 3.41±1.45 year. Unilateral disease was in 61 (75.30%) patients while 20 (24.70%) patients had bilateral retinoblastoma. Among 81 children, 20(24.7%) had recurrence of the disease.

Conclusion: Development of recurrence after intravenous chemotherapy was noted in 24.7 % of all retinoblastoma eyes. Younger patients with more advanced, posteriorly located tumors and subretinal seeds at presentation were at increased risk, but recurrence can often be managed with globe-sparing therapy.