Member Article

Two out of three parents aren't aware of the symptom for eye cancer in children

In a poll for World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week that says more than 1,000 parents, two out of three parents weren’t aware that a squint or lazy eye can be a symptom of an aggressive eye cancer in children and only 35 per cent identified a squint as one of the signs of Rb.

Patrick Tonks, Chief Executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust, said: “Around one child a week is diagnosed with retinoblastoma in the UK, or 50 a year, so it’s very rare and there is no reason for parents to be alarmed. In most cases a squint is completely harmless.

Rb can be very difficult to detect because children often seem perfectly well and many parents have never heard of it.“

For ​three year old ​Eliza Thomas, ​her mother April took her to get her eyes tested as she had a squint that seemed to be getting worse. ​But when the optician from Vision Express examined Eliza, she saw what looked like a tumour growing in her eye and referred to her a hospital immediately. The worried family finally received the diagnosis they feared most – Eliza had eye cancer. The doctors told April that the only way to save Eliza was to remove her eye.

The worried family then visited three different hospitals before they finally received the diagnosis they feared most – Eliza had eye cancer. The doctors told April that it was too late to try other treatments such as chemo or laser therapy and that the only way to save Eliza was to remove her eye.

The operation went well and tests showed that the cancer hadn’t spread. Eliza didn’t need any further treatment, but she would need regular check-ups. A few weeks later Eliza was fitted with a temporary artificial eye, in order for here to get used to it before having a more permanent one made for her.

Three years on, Eliza is doing very well and fully embracing her ‘magic eye’. She still has to undergo regular check-ups every 6 months, where specialist eye doctors monitor her progress and her vision.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rebecca .