Treatment of retinoblastoma: The Institut Curie experience on a series of 730 patients (1995 to 2009)

Abstract

Introduction: To describe the results of retinoblastoma treatment from 1995-2009 in a single institution.

Material and methods: Retrospective review of the charts of patients treated for retinoblastoma. Clinical characteristics at diagnosis, treatments and outcomes in terms of survival and ocular preservation are described.

Results: During the study period 826 children were referred for retinoblastoma and 730 were managed in our institution. Four hundred and eleven children presented with unilateral retinoblastoma and 319 with bilateral retinoblastoma. Median follow-up is of 93 months. Global survival is 98.5% of children, 10 children presented with second tumors, 11 children died (6 of tumor-related causes). Of the 411 children with unilateral retinoblastoma enucleation was needed at diagnosis for 324 (78.8%). Conservative treatments were attempted for 87 patients (21.2%) and ocular preservation obtained for 65 patients (74% of eyes). Three hundred and nineteen patients presented with bilateral retinoblastoma. Three hundred and ten could be treated conservatively for at least one eye. Initial intravenous chemotherapy was necessary for 75% of them. Ocular preservation without external beam radiation was possible for 221 patients (70%). The use of EBR decreased significantly after 2004 (9.1% of eyes vs 25.1%: P<0.001).

Discussion: Management and treatment of retinoblastoma are complex, adapted to the extent of the disease. Survival is good. Enucleation is still required for extensive ocular disease, especially for unilateral patients. Intravenous chemotherapy allows good tumor control and eye preservation and decrease the need of EBR.

Conclusions: Retinoblastoma treatment with intravenous chemotherapy and ocular adjuvant therapies is very effective on the local tumor control and eye preservation.

Keywords: Chemothermotherapy; Chimiothérapie intraveineuse; Enucleation; Intravenous chemotherapy; Retinoblastoma; Rétinoblastome; Thermochimiothérapie; Énucléation.