Survival of retinoblastoma in less-developed countries impact of socioeconomic and health-related indicators

The Association of Race, Ethnicity, and Insurance Status with the Visual Acuity of Retinoblastoma Survivors in the IRIS® Registry

PURPOSE

To identify sociodemographic factors associated with the visual outcomes of retinoblastoma survivors.

METHODS

Retrospective cohort study using a US-based clinical data registry. All individuals < 18 years of age with a history of retinoblastoma in the Intelligent Research in Sight (IRIS®) Registry (1/1/2013-12/31/2020). The primary outcome was visual acuity below the threshold for legal blindness (20/200 or worse) in at least one eye. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between visual outcomes and age, sex, laterality, race, ethnicity, type of insurance, and geographic location.

RESULTS

This analysis included 1545 children with a history of retinoblastoma. The median length of follow-up was 4.1 years (IQR, 2.2-5.9 years) and the median age at most recent clinical visit was 12 years (IQR, 8-16 years). Retinoblastoma was unilateral in 54% of cases. Poor vision in at least one eye was identified in 78% of all children and poor vision in both eyes in 17% of those with bilateral disease. Poor visual outcomes were associated with unilateral diagnosis (OR, 1.55; 95% CI,1.13-2.12; p = .007), Black race (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.19-3.47; p = .010), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.16-2.37; p = .006), and non-private insurance (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.02-2.10; p = .037).

CONCLUSIONS

Poor visual outcomes appear to be more common among Black, Hispanic, and publicly insured children with a history of retinoblastoma, raising concerns regarding healthcare inequities. Primary care physicians should ensure that young children receive red reflex testing during routine visits and consider retinoblastoma in the differential diagnosis of abnormal eye exams.

Targeted therapies in retinoblastoma: GD2-directed immunotherapy following autologous stem cell transplantation and evaluation of alternative target B7-H3

BACKGROUND

GD2-directed immunotherapy is highly effective in the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), and might be an interesting target also in other high-risk tumors.

METHODS

The German-Austrian Retinoblastoma Registry, Essen, was searched for patients, who were treated with anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) dinutuximab beta (Db) in order to evaluate toxicity, response and outcome in these patients. Additionally, we evaluated anti-GD2 antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) in retinoblastoma cell lines in vitro. Furthermore, in vitro cytotoxicity assays directed against B7-H3 (CD276), a new identified potential target in RB, were performed.

RESULTS

We identified four patients with relapsed stage IV retinoblastoma, who were treated with Db following autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). Two out of two evaluable patients with detectable tumors responded to immunotherapy. One of these and another patient who received immunotherapy without residual disease relapsed 10 and 12 months after start of Db. The other patients remained in remission until last follow-up 26 and 45 months, respectively. In vitro, significant lysis of RB cell lines by ADCC and CDC with samples from patients and healthy donors and anti-GD2 and anti-CD276-mAbs were demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

Anti-GD2-directed immunotherapy represents an additional therapeutic option in high-risk metastasized RB. Moreover, CD276 is another target of interest.

Risk factors associated with abandonment of care in retinoblastoma: analysis of 692 patients from 10 countries

BACKGROUND

Rates of care abandonment for retinoblastoma (RB) demonstrate significant geographical variation; however, other variables that place a patient at risk of abandoning care remain unclear. This study aims to identify the risk factors for care abandonment across a multinational set of patients.

METHODS

A prospective, observational study of 692 patients from 11 RB centres in 10 countries was conducted from 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify risk factors associated with higher rates of care abandonment.

RESULTS

Logistic regression showed a higher risk of abandoning care based on country (high-risk countries include Bangladesh (OR=18.1), Pakistan (OR=45.5) and Peru (OR=9.23), p<0.001), female sex (OR=2.39, p=0.013) and advanced clinical stage (OR=4.22, p<0.001). Enucleation as primary treatment was not associated with a higher risk of care abandonment (OR=0.59, p=0.206).

CONCLUSION

Country, advanced disease and female sex were all associated with higher rates of abandonment. In this analysis, enucleation as the primary treatment was not associated with abandonment. Further research investigating cultural barriers can enable the building of targeted retention strategies unique to each country.

Presentation pattern and survival rate of retinoblastoma following chemotherapy: a prospective study

BACKGROUND

This study presents the clinical pattern of presentation and survival rate of retinoblastoma, which is the most prevalent form of pediatric intraocular cancer. The aim of this study is to provide baseline information about the clinical presentation and management of retinoblastoma at ECWA Eye Hospital. Additionally, the study identifies priority areas for enhancing medical care for children diagnosed with this cancer. ECWA Eye Hospital, situated in Kano State, Nigeria, is a specialized eye center located in the North-Western region of the country.

METHODS

A prospective study spanning five years was conducted at ECWA Eye Hospital to investigate clinically diagnosed cases of retinoblastoma. The study took place from January 2018 to December 2022. The patients received standardized pre-medication and chemotherapy protocols for retinoblastoma. Subsequently, a five-year follow-up was conducted to monitor the patients' progress. The collected data was analyzed, descriptive statistics were generated, and the survival rate was calculated.

RESULTS

During the five-year study period, a total of 35 cases of retinoblastoma were diagnosed. The patients had an average age of 3.21 ± 1.32 years. The most common presentation patterns observed were fungating ocular mass and proptosis. Among the cases, there were 10 instances of bilateral proptosis and 25 instances of unilateral proptosis. While no patients exhibited bilateral leukocoria, eight cases of unilateral leukocoria with anterior segment seedlings were identified. The additional patterns of presentation are proptosis, leukocoria, fungating orbital mass, redness and loss of vision. The mortality rate was 80% (28 cases), while the survival rate was 20% (7 cases). Notably, all the survivors had unilateral retinoblastoma.

CONCLUSION

The majority of cases observed at ECWA Eye Hospital involve advanced retinoblastoma. In low-resource settings where alternative treatment options are limited, chemotherapy is considered a viable treatment option. Early presentation of retinoblastoma in patients may lead to a higher survival rate when chemotherapy is administered.

Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: Experience from the pediatric ophthalmology referral center in Malaysia with literature review

PURPOSE

We aimed to analyze our 4-year experience of intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) for retinoblastoma (RB) and to examine the tumor response, globe salvage, mortality, and safety profile of IAC in the Malaysian profile.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective, interventional case series. A total of 22 eyes of 20 patients with RB who underwent IAC using melphalan and topotecan from January 2018 to December 2021 in Hospital Kuala Lumpur were retrospectively reviewed. Tumor response, globe salvage, mortality, and safety profile of IAC were compared based on the International Classification of Retinoblastoma.

RESULTS

The mean patient age at IAC was 21.3 months. An overall globe salvage rate of 63.6% was observed: more specifically, 100% for Group A, 75% for Groups B and C, 66.7% for Group D, and 42.9% for Group E. Poor tumor response after IAC was significantly associated with a lesser chance of globe salvage (P = 0.045). The overall rate of good tumor response following IAC was 77.3%. Specifically, rates of good tumor response in each group were 100%, 75%, 75%, 83.3% and 71.4% in group A, B, C, D and E, respectively. The mortality rate was 5%. Complications (per-catheterization) included cerebral infarct (2.2%), oxygen desaturation (2.2%), vomiting (26.1%), periorbital edema (8.8%), ptosis (6.5%), fever, femoral hematoma, and hyperpigmentation over lid (4.4% each).

CONCLUSION

Four-year experience showed that IAC is a safe and effective method for RB management. Patients with a poor response after IAC may have a lower chance of globe salvage. Careful patient selection is of utmost importance to achieve the best outcome in a setting of limited health-care resources.

RB1 gene mutations and genetic spectrum in retinoblastoma cases

The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency and types of mutations on the retinoblastoma gene (RB1 gene) in Turkish population. RB1 gene mutation analysis was performed in a total of 219 individuals (122 probands with retinoblastoma, 14 family members with retinoblastoma and 83 clinically healthy family members). All 27 exons and close intronic regions of the RB1 gene were sequenced for small deletions and insertions using both the Sanger sequencing or NGS methods, and the large deletions and duplications were investigated using the MLPA analysis and CNV algorithm. The bilateral/trilateral retinoblastoma rate was 66% in the study population. The general frequency of RB1 gene mutation in the germline of the patients with retinoblastoma was 41.9%. Approximately 51.5% of the patients were diagnosed earlier than 12 months old, and de novo mutation was found in 32.4% of the patients. Germline small genetic rearrangement mutations were detected in 78.9% of patients and LGRs were detected in 21.1% of patients. An association was detected between the eye color of the RB patients and RB1 mutations. 8 of the mutations detected in the RB1 gene were novel in the study.

Genetics in ophthalmology: molecular blueprints of retinoblastoma

This review presents current knowledge on the molecular biology of retinoblastoma (RB). Retinoblastoma is an intraocular tumor with hereditary and sporadic forms. 8,000 new cases of this ocular malignancy of the developing retina are diagnosed each year worldwide. The major gene responsible for retinoblastoma is RB1, and it harbors a large spectrum of pathogenic variants. Tumorigenesis begins with mutations that cause RB1 biallelic inactivation preventing the production of functional pRB proteins. Depending on the type of mutation the penetrance of RB is different. However, in small percent of tumors additional genes may be required, such as MYCN, BCOR and CREBBP. Additionally, epigenetic changes contribute to the progression of retinoblastoma as well. Besides its role in the cell cycle, pRB plays many additional roles, it regulates the nucleosome structure, participates in apoptosis, DNA replication, cellular senescence, differentiation, DNA repair and angiogenesis. Notably, pRB has an important role as a modulator of chromatin remodeling. In recent years high-throughput techniques are becoming essential for credible biomarker identification and patient management improvement. In spite of remarkable advances in retinoblastoma therapy, primarily in high-income countries, our understanding of retinoblastoma and its specific genetics still needs further clarification in order to predict the course of this disease and improve therapy. One such approach is the tumor free DNA that can be obtained from the anterior segment of the eye and be useful in diagnostics and prognostics.

A novel MYCN-YTHDF1 cascade contributes to retinoblastoma tumor growth by eliciting m6A -dependent activation of multiple oncogenes

Retinoblastoma, the most prevalent primary intraocular tumor in children, leads to vision impairment, disability and even death. In addition to RB1 inactivation, MYCN activation has been documented as another common oncogenic alteration in retinoblastoma and represents one of the high-risk molecular subtypes of retinoblastoma. However, how MYCN contributes to the progression of retinoblastoma is still incompletely understood. Here, we report that MYCN upregulates YTHDF1, which encodes one of the reader proteins for N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification, in retinoblastoma. We further found that this MYCN-upregulated m6A reader functions to promote retinoblastoma cell proliferation and tumor growth in an m6A binding-dependent manner. Mechanistically, YTHDF1 promotes the expression of multiple oncogenes by binding to their mRNAs and enhancing mRNA stability and translation in retinoblastoma cells. Taken together, our findings reveal a novel MYCN-YTHDF1 regulatory cascade in controlling retinoblastoma cell proliferation and tumor growth, pinpointing an unprecedented mechanism for MYCN amplification and/or activation to promote retinoblastoma progression.

Health Services Needs Assessment for Retinoblastoma in Ethiopia

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to document the available resources and needs for the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of retinoblastoma (RB) in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A health services needs assessment focused on RB care in Ethiopia was conducted. Information was obtained through a web-based survey and field visits. Facilities offering RB service delivery were categorized into three tiers, on the basis of the ability to detect (tier 1) and manage simple (tier 2) or complex (tier 3) patients with RB. Descriptive statistics were performed to quantify human and material resources available at each facility.

RESULTS

The web survey received 29 responses from ophthalmologists at 19 health care facilities. Of the 19 units surveyed, seven (36.8%) had an ophthalmologist dedicated to RB treatment, classifying them as either a tier 2 or 3 facility. All tier 3 facilities had an affiliated health facility offering access to off-site pediatric oncology and pathology services. Of the focal therapies offered at tier 3 facilities, none included local chemotherapy or brachytherapy. Enucleation was offered at all tier 2 facilities, but availability of orbital implants and ocular prostheses was variable. None of the health facilities offered genetics services.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrated that the human and material resources needed for RB care in Ethiopia are constrained. Tier 3 RB facilities are rare and concentrated in urban areas, which could make it difficult for many patients to access. With focused capacity-building efforts, it is possible to increase the efficiency of RB therapy.

Retinoblastoma: A review of clinical profile at a regional cancer center in Northwest India

Background

Retinoblastoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy of childhood. The present study was undertaken to overcome the scarcity of data regarding the epidemiology, demographic and clinical profile, and nature of the first health-care professional consulted.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis of medical records was performed for all cases of retinoblastoma who presented to the department of ophthalmology and oncology between 2010 and 2017. A total of 54 cases were reviewed.

Results

Unilateral disease was seen in 85.2% while 14.8% presented with bilateral disease with a median age of 3 years and 2 years, respectively, at diagnosis. The male: female ratio was 2:1. The most common presenting symptom was leukocoria which was noticed in 42 patients (77.7%), followed by red eye (33.3%) and proptosis (20.3%). The most common stage of presentation was Stage I (44.4%), followed by Stage IV (20.4%), Stage III (9.3%), and Stage II (5.6%). The median time to diagnosis was 8.7 months (range, 0.5-98.7 months), and the median time to treatment was 37.4 days (range, 0-645 days). Majority of the patients were referred by local ophthalmologists (48%), followed by general practitioners (20%), nurses (19%), and quacks (13%). Enucleation was the most preferred treatment modality (48.1%), followed by chemotherapy (33.3%), radiotherapy (13%), photocoagulation (3.7%), and exenteration (1.9%). The overall remission rate was 79.6%, while 12.3% had relapse and 7.4% died.

Conclusion

The study showed a dire need for timely detection and treatment of retinoblastoma which is possible with improved awareness and better accessibility to health-care facilities. It also revealed a decrease in histopathological risk factors with chemoreduction.

EyeScreen

Purpose

Early diagnosis and treatment of retinoblastoma are of paramount importance for a positive clinical outcome. The most common sign of retinoblastoma is leukocoria, or white pupil. Effective, easy-to-perform, community-based screening is needed to improve outcomes in lower-income regions. The EyeScreen (developed by Joshua Meyer from the University of Michigan) Android (Google LLC) smartphone application is an important step toward addressing this need. The purpose of this study was to examine the potential of the novel use of low-cost technologies—a cell phone application and machine learning—to identify leukocoria.

Design

A cell phone application was developed and refined with the feedback from on-site, single-population use in Ethiopia. Application performance was evaluated in this technology validation study.

Participants

One thousand four hundred fifty-seven participants were recruited from ophthalmology and pediatric clinics in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Methods

Photographs obtained with inexpensive Android smartphones running the EyeScreen Application were used to train an ImageNet (ResNet) machine learning model and to measure the performance of the app. Eighty percent of the images were used in training the model, and 20% were reserved for testing.

Main Outcome Measures

Performance of the model was measured in terms of sensitivity, specificity, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and precision-recall curve.

Results

Analyses of the participant images resulted in the following at the participant level: sensitivity, 87%; specificity, 73%; area under the ROC curve, 0.93; and area under the precision-recall curve, 0.77.

Conclusions

EyeScreen has the potential to serve as an effective screening tool in the areas of the world most affected by delayed retinoblastoma diagnosis. The relatively high initial performance of the machine learning model with small training datasets in this early-phase study can serve as a proof of concept for future use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in ophthalmic applications.

The Global Retinoblastoma Outcome Study: a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

Background

Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival.

Methods

We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models.

Findings

The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope).

Interpretation

This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.

Funding

Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

Anemia and Bone Marrow Suppression After Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy in Children With Retinoblastoma: A Retrospective Analysis

Background

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a common ocular malignant tumor in children. Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) has been widely used in children with Rb and has achieved an ideal therapeutic effect. However, IAC has side effects, including anemia and bone marrow suppression, for which explicit evidence on the risk factors is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the covariates that may affect the occurrence of anemia and bone marrow suppression in children with Rb after IAC.

Methods

Children with Rb admitted between May 2019 and January 2021 were included into the study. The differences in the number of children with anemia and bone marrow suppression before and after IAC according to different covariates were recorded. All potential impact factors were included into the univariate and multivariate regression models to identify the related covariates of post-IAC anemia and bone marrow suppression.

Results

Data of 282 children with Rb were retrospectively collected. After IAC, children with Rb had increased severities of anemia (p <0.0001, chi-square test) and bone marrow suppression (p = 0.001, chi-square test). Moreover, the number of children with Rb who had an increased cross-level change in the severity of anemia and degree of bone marrow suppression was 80 (41.24%) and 64 (32.49%), respectively. The univariate regression analysis showed that numerous factors (such as pre-IAC intravenous chemotherapy, results of pre-IAC routine blood tests, and some serological indicators for liver and kidney function) affected the anemia severity and degree of bone marrow suppression in children with Rb after IAC. Additionally, the predictive model of the multivariate regression could predict anemia and bone marrow suppression.

Conclusion

Children with Rb may have an increased risk of anemia and bone marrow suppression after IAC, but this is temporary and can be influenced by several factors. Therefore, IAC should be maintained as the standard of care. We generated predictive equations for predicting anemia severity and degree of bone marrow suppression, which can guide the prediction and timely control of anemia and bone marrow suppression after IAC.

Integrated Analysis of Cancer Tissue and Vitreous Humor from Retinoblastoma Eyes Reveals Unique Tumor-Specific Metabolic and Cellular Pathways in Advanced and Non-Advanced Tumors

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a pediatric intraocular malignancy that is proposed to originate from maturing cone cell precursors in the developing retina. The molecular mechanisms underlying the biological and clinical behaviors are important to understand in order to improve the management of advanced-stage tumors. While the genetic causes of Rb are known, an integrated understanding of the gene expression and metabolic processes in tumors of human eyes is deficient. By integrating transcriptomic profiling from tumor tissues and metabolomics from tumorous eye vitreous humor samples (with healthy, age-matched pediatric retinae and vitreous samples as controls), we uncover unique functional associations between genes and metabolites. We found distinct gene expression patterns between clinically advanced and non-advanced Rb. Global metabolomic analysis of the vitreous humor of the same Rb eyes revealed distinctly altered metabolites, indicating how tumor metabolism has diverged from healthy pediatric retina. Several key enzymes that are related to cellular energy production, such as hexokinase 1, were found to be reduced in a manner corresponding to altered metabolites; notably, a reduction in pyruvate levels. Similarly, E2F2 was the most significantly elevated E2F family member in our cohort that is part of the cell cycle regulatory circuit. Ectopic expression of the wild-type RB1 gene in the Rb-null Y79 and WERI-Rb1 cells rescued hexokinase 1 expression, while E2F2 levels were repressed. In an additional set of Rb tumor samples and pediatric healthy controls, we further validated differences in the expression of HK1 and E2F2. Through an integrated omics analysis of the transcriptomics and metabolomics of Rb, we uncovered a significantly altered tumor-specific metabolic circuit that reduces its dependence on glycolytic pathways and is governed by Rb1 and HK1.

Contemporary Update of Retinoblastoma in China: Three-Decade Changes in Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Treatments, and Outcomes

PURPOSE

To report three-decade changes of clinical characteristics, progress of treatments, and risk factors associated with mortality and enucleation in patients with retinoblastoma in China.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

METHODS

This multicenter study included 2552 patients diagnosed with retinoblastoma in 38 medical centers in 31 provinces in China from 1989 to 2017, with follow-up data. Kendall's tau-b value was used to describe correlation coefficients between the three eras (between 1989 and 2008, between 2009 and 2013, and between 2014 and 2017) and clinical or demographic features. Hazard ratios and odds ratios were applied to measure risk factors.

RESULTS

A total of 324 (13%) patients died and 1414 (42%) eyes were removed. The 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year overall survival rates were 95%, 86%, and 83%, respectively. Patients were diagnosed at a better stage by International Classification for Retinoblastoma over time (Kendall's tau-b value = -0.084, P < .001). Pathological risk factors were also observed less in recent eras. New conservative therapies were adopted and used in more patients. The eye removal rate gradually decreased (Kendall's tau-b value = -0.167, P < .001). The overall survival rates were 81%, 83%, and 91% in the three eras. By multivariate Cox regression, bilateral tumors and extraocular extension were identified as risk factors for death. Among intraocular disease, Group E indicated higher risk of mortality. By multivariate logistics regression, unilateral tumors, earlier era of diagnosis, and extraocular extension were risk factors for eye salvage failure. Among intraocular retinoblastoma, Groups D and E had higher risk of eye salvage failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients were diagnosed at an earlier stage in recent eras. Conservative therapies, including intra-arterial chemotherapy, were increasingly being used. The above changes may contribute to the decreasing enucleation rate. Although no significant impact was identified on the mortality by the three eras, a decreasing trend was shown.

Survival outcomes of unilateral retinoblastoma based on pathological risk stratification-experience at a tertiary care centre in Pakistan

Retinoblastoma (RB) is the most common childhood intraocular malignancy. In high-income countries over the past decade, upfront enucleation for unilateral RB is least favoured due to other alternatives that can help in globe preservation, but in low-middle income countries it is still the preferred option due to lack of resources and expertise. The treatment of RB after enucleation is tailored based on the histopathological risk features, as adjuvant chemotherapy with high-risk features reduces the risk of metastasis. The aim of our study was to analyse the survival outcomes of adjuvant therapy based on histopathological risk stratification in patients who underwent upfront enucleation for unilateral RB with advanced disease. A retrospective study was carried out at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Pakistan. A total 113 patients (aged 3 months till 16 years) diagnosed with unilateral RB who had upfront enucleation from July 2009 till January 2019 were included in this study. The mean age of diagnosis was 37.4 months (±24.5) and male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1. The most common clinical presentation was leukocoria (74.3%). Patients who underwent enucleation had advanced disease; group D present in 62.8% followed by group E (32.7%). Histopathology revealed high-risk features in 29 patients (25.7%) and intermediate risk in 54 patients (47.8%). Disease progression and relapse was seen in patients with high-risk histopathological features. The 4-year over-all survival and EFS observed for this cohort was 74% and 71%. Awareness about the early symptoms among the general population and health care personnel at a nationwide level is needed to facilitate early detection and lessen disease related morbidity and mortality.

Multifunctional liposome for photoacoustic/ultrasound imaging-guided chemo/photothermal retinoblastoma therapy

Retinoblastoma (RB) is a malignant intraocular neoplasm that occurs in children. Diagnosis and therapy are frequently delayed, often leading to metastasis, which necessitates effective imaging and treatment. In recent years, the use of nanoplatforms allowing both imaging and targeted treatment has attracted much attention. Herein, we report a novel nanoplatform folate-receptor (FR) targeted laser-activatable liposome termed FA-DOX-ICG-PFP@Lip, which is loaded with doxorubicin (DOX)/indocyanine green (ICG) and liquid perfluoropentane (PFP) for photoacoustic/ultrasound (PA/US) dual-modal imaging-guided chemo/photothermal RB therapy. The dual-modal imaging capability, photothermal conversion under laser irradiation, biocompatibility, and antitumor ability of these liposomes were appraised. The multifunctional liposome showed a good tumor targeting ability and was efficacious as a dual-modality contrast agent both in vivo and in vitro. When laser-irradiated, the liposome converted light energy to heat. This action caused immediate destruction of tumor cells, while simultaneously initiating PFP phase transformation to release DOX, resulting in both photothermal and chemotherapeutic antitumor effects. Notably, the FA-DOX-ICG-PFP@Lip showed good biocompatibility and no systemic toxicity was observed after laser irradiation in RB tumor-bearing mice. Hence, the FA-DOX-ICG-PFP@Lip shows great promise for dual-modal imaging-guided chemo/photothermal therapy, and may have significant value for diagnosing and treating RB.

Krüppel-like transcription factor 16 transcriptional up-regulation of cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins-2 promotes the invasion and migration and inhibits apoptosis of retinoblastoma cells by regulating integrin-β1/focal adhesion kinase /extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway

As a common intraocular malignancy in pediatrics, retinoblastoma (RB) has high prevalence worldwide. We conducted this study, aiming to explore the molecular mechanism of Krüppel-like transcription factor 16 (KLF16)/cellular retinoic acid-binding proteins-2 (CRABP2) in regulating the invasion and migration and apoptosis of RB cells via integrin-β1/focal adhesion kinase (FAK)/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway. With the adoption of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and Western blot, the mRNA and protein expression of CRABP2 and KLF16 were measured. In addition, the proliferation, clone formation ability and migration were detected with methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT), clone formation and wound healing assays, respectively. Furthermore, the invasion and apoptosis of transfected WERI-RB1 cells were evaluated with transwell and Tunel assays. With the application of Western blot, the expressions of proliferation-, apoptosis- and pathway-related proteins were assayed. The combination of KLF16 and CRABP2 was confirmed by dual-luciferase reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). In this study, we found that CRABP2 gained a huge growth in RB cells and its silence promoted apoptosis but suppressed the proliferation, migration and invasiveness of WERI-RB1 cells. In addition, KLF16 could bind to CRABP2. It was also found that KLF16 overexpression reversed the effects of CRABP2 silence on the proliferation, migration and apoptosis of WERI-RB1 cells. What is more, CRABP2 silence blocked integrin-β1/FAK/ERK signaling pathway. In conclusion, KLF16 transcriptional up-regulation of CRABP2 promoted proliferation, invasion and migration but inhibited apoptosis of RB cells by activating integrin-β1/FAK/ERK pathway.

Epidemiological characteristics and survival outcomes of children with medulloblastoma treated at the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

BACKGROUND

Medulloblastoma (MB),the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood has survival outcomes exceeding 80% for standard-risk and 60% for high-risk patients in high-income countries (HICs). These results have not been replicated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where 80% of children with cancer live.

METHODS

This is a retrospective review of 114 children aged 3-18 years diagnosed with MB from 1997 to 2016 at National Cancer Institute (INCA). Sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment data were extracted from the medical records and summarized descriptively. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

The male-to-female ratio was 1.32 and the median age at diagnosis was 8.2 years. Headache (83%) and nausea/vomiting (78%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Five-year OS was 59.1% and PFS was 58.4%. The OS for standard-risk and high-risk patients was 69% and 53%, respectively. The median time to diagnosis interval was 50.5 days and the median time from surgery to radiation therapy initiation was 50.4 days. Patients who lived >40 km from INCA fared better (OS = 68.2% vs. 51.1%, p = .032). Almost 20% of families lived below the Brazilian minimum wage. Forty-five patients (35%) had metastatic disease at admission. Gross total resection was achieved in 57% of the patitents.

CONCLUSIONS

Although there are considerable barriers to deliver effective MB treatment in countries like Brazil, the OS seen in the present study demonstrates that good outcomes are not only feasible but can and should be increased with appropriate interventions.

Anticancer activity of ursolic acid on retinoblastoma cells determined by bioinformatics analysis and validation

Background

This article aims to explore whether ursolic acid (UA) inhibits the progression of retinoblastoma (Rb) by regulating stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD).

Methods

The Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database was used to filter the chip, then the GEO2R software was used to analyze the microarray data (GSE97508, GSE24673, and GSE110811). Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was used to analyze the relationship between the expression level of SCD and the proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation in Rb patients. SO-RB50 and Y79 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion were assessed by the CCK-8 assay, the colony formation assay, the Transwell assay, and the wound scratch test. The protein expression levels of SCD were measured by western blot. The mRNA expression levels of IL-8, IL-6, CXCL1, and CCL2 were measured by RT-qPCR. The protein expression levels of IL-8 and IL-6 were measured by ELISA. A xenograft nude mouse model was established to evaluate the effect of UA on tumor growth in male BALB/c mice.

Results

The expression levels of SCD were related to cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation. UA inhibited SO-RB50 and Y79 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. At the same time, UA suppressed tumor growth in the xenograft nude mouse model. Overexpression of SCD promoted SO-RB50 and Y79 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation, while SCD knockout inhibited SO-RB50 and Y79 cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and inflammation. Importantly, UA inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Rb cells through SCD inhibition.

Conclusions

UA inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of Rb cells through SCD. This provides a new scientific basis for targeted therapy of Rb.

Downregulation of MIAT reduces the proliferation and migratory and invasive abilities of retinoblastoma cells by sponging miR-665 and regulating LASP1

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) can function as onco-lncRNAs in several types of human cancer, including retinoblastoma (Rb). The present study investigated the potential role and regulatory mechanism of the lncRNA myocardial infarction-associated transcript (MIAT) in Rb. To do so, the expression levels of MIAT, microRNA (miR)-665, and LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP1) in Rb tissues from patients or Rb cells were analysed using reverse transcription quantitative PCR. The interactions between miR-665 and MIAT/LASP1 were confirmed by the dual-luciferase reporter assay. MTT, Transwell (to assess migration and invasion) and western blotting assays were used to explore the functions of the MIAT/miR-665/LASP1 axis on Rb progression in vitro. The results of the present study indicated that MIAT targeted miR-665. In Rb tissues and cell lines, high expression of MIAT was observed, whereas miR-665 was downregulated in Rb tissues. Furthermore, the proliferation and migratory and invasive abilities of Rb Y79 and HXO-RB44 cells were decreased following MIAT downregulation or miR-665 overexpression. In addition, LASP1 was identified as a target gene of miR-665. Both the decreased expression of miR-665 and the elevated expression of LASP1 reversed the suppressive effects of MIAT knockdown on the proliferation and migratory and invasive abilities of Y79 cells. Furthermore, MIAT silencing attenuated the development of Rb by regulating the miR-665/LASP1 axis. Taken together, these findings suggested that MIAT may be considered as a possible therapeutic target for Rb.

Unilateral retinoblastoma; natural history and an age-based protocol in 248 patients

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to study the clinical state and prognosis of patients with unilateral retinoblastoma who were being treated at a paediatric comprehensive cancer centre in a limited-resource country, to assess the different phases of treatment and the success of different, more complex real-life models.

SUBJECTS

In this retrospective study, we created a snapshot of our retinoblastoma database for the period between 2007 and 2015. Patients whose data were included in the study were followed up until 2016. Out of a total of 744 screened patients, we included data of 248 patients who had been diagnosed with unilateral retinoblastoma.

RESULTS

As classified as per the International Retinoblastoma Classification, 1 patient presented with group A, 21 with group B, 39 with group C, 104 with group D and 83 with group E retinoblastoma. Chemotherapy was the initial line of treatment in 115 patients and enucleation in 133 others. Later, 141 patients (56.9%) required further management. Patients had a mean ocular survival time of 20.8 months. Nine patients developed extraocular disease at a later stage of management: five after upfront enucleation and four after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Mean overall survival time stood at 90.2 months. Four and three deaths were recorded in groups D and E, respectively. A single patient died in the initial chemotherapy arm, while six passed away in the initial enucleation arm.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlights the importance of initial chemotherapy and close follow-up after enucleation of classes D and E affected eyes even in absence of germline mutations.

Clinical outcomes and prognosis of Thai retinoblastoma patients

BACKGROUND

Retinoblastoma (RB) outcomes in Thailand are unfavorable compared to those of developed countries. This study aims to determine whether the clinical outcomes of patients with RB significantly improved after the implementation of new therapeutic approaches and which clinical factors affect survival and globe-saving outcomes.

METHODS

The medical records of patients newly diagnosed with RB and treated at Siriraj Hospital between January 2005 and December 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. Clinical data, treatments, and outcomes were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

In 194 eyes (144 patients), leukocoria was the most common presenting feature (76.8%); 129 (66.5%) eyes were staged in group E of the International Classification of Intraocular Retinoblastoma. Of the 149 enucleated eyes, 35 had high-risk histopathological features, mostly choroidal invasion; 45 eyes (23.2%) could be salvaged. The 5-year overall survival rate was 90.3%, an improvement compared to the previous study. The 5-year enucleation-free survival rates of Groups A and B, C, D and E were 100%, 83.1%, 36.7% and 16.6% respectively. Factors associated with a lower survival rate were interval from symptom onset to diagnosis >3 months (hazard ratio (HR): 5.8: 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.637, 20.579) and buphthalmos (HR: 12.57: 95% CI: 3.936, 40.153). Factors associated with high-risk features were secondary glaucoma (HR: 11.016: 95% CI: 1.24, 98.10) and pseudohypopyon (HR: 14.110: 95% CI: 2.16, 92.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival rates and globe-saving rates appear to have improved; however, advanced-stage presentation remains the major hindrance. Further studies with a larger cohort and longer follow-up are warranted.

Recent advancements in the management of retinoblastoma and uveal melanoma

Retinoblastoma in children and uveal melanoma in adults can pose a serious threat to both vision and life. For many decades, enucleation was often the only option to treat these intraocular malignancies. For retinoblastoma, intra-arterial chemotherapy is often utilized as the primary treatment at advanced academic centers and has dramatically improved local tumor control and eye salvage rates. For uveal melanoma, both plaque brachytherapy and proton beam irradiation have served as widely utilized therapies with a local failure rate of approximately 1–10%, depending on the series. Major recent advancements have allowed for a better understanding of the genomics of uveal melanoma and the impact of certain mutations on metastatic susceptibility. Gene expression profile stratifies uveal melanomas into two classes: low-risk (class 1) and high-risk (class 2). A loss-of-function mutation of BAP1 is associated with a class 2 gene expression profile and therefore confers worse prognosis due to elevated risk of metastasis. On the other hand, gain-of-function mutations of EIF1AX and SF3B1 correspond to a gene expression profile of class 1A and class 1B and confer a better prognosis. Preferentially expressed antigen in melanoma (PRAME) is an antigen that increases metastatic susceptibility when expressed in uveal melanoma cells. In addition to plaque brachytherapy and proton beam irradiation, both of which have demonstrated superb clinical outcomes, scientists are actively investigating newer therapeutic modalities as either primary therapy or adjuvant treatment, including a novel nanoparticle therapy and immunotherapy.

Treatment Outcome of Children with Retinoblastoma in a Tertiary Care Referral Hospital in Indonesia

Background:

Although survival rates for retinoblastoma (RB) are over 95% in high-income countries, its high mortality rate in low and middle-income countries remains a great concern. Few studies investigated treatment outcome and factors contributing to RB survival in these latter settings. Aims of this study are to determine treatment outcome of Indonesian children diagnosed with RB and to explore factors predictive of treatment outcome.

Methods:

This study was a retrospective medical records review combined with an illustrative case report. Children newly diagnosed with RB between January 2011 and December 2016 at a tertiary care referral hospital in Indonesia were included. A home visit was conducted to perform an in-depth interview with a mother of two children affected by RB.

Results:

Of all 61 children with RB, 39% abandoned treatment, 21% died, 20% had progressive or relapsed disease and 20% event-free survival. Progressive or relapsed disease was more common in older (≥ 2 years at diagnosis, 29%) than young (<2 years at diagnosis, 0%) children (P=0.012). Event-free survival estimate at 5 years was higher in young (42%) than older (6%) children (P=0.045). Odds-ratio for event-free survival was 6.9 (95% CI: 1.747 – 27.328, P=0.006) for young versus older children. Other clinical and socio-demographic characteristics had no significant correlation with treatment outcome or event-free survival. The case report elucidated conditions and obstacles that Indonesian families face when their children are diagnosed with RB.

Conclusion:

Survival of children with RB in Indonesia is much lower compared to high-income and many other low and middle-income countries. Abandonment of treatment is the most common cause of treatment failure. Older age at diagnosis is associated with more progressive or relapsed disease and worse survival. Interventions to improve general public and health-care providers’ awareness, early detection and treatment adherence are required.

Subsequent Malignant Neoplasms in Retinoblastoma Survivors

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a pediatric malignant eye tumor. Subsequent malignant neoplasms (SMNs) and trilateral Rb (TRb) are the leading cause of death in heritable Rb patients in developed countries. The high rate of SMNs in heritable Rb patients is attributed to the presence of a mutation in the RB1 tumor suppressor gene. In addition, Rb therapy choices also influence SMN incidence in this patient group. The incidence rates and age of occurrence for the most frequent SMNs and TRb will be discussed. In addition, the impact of genetic predisposition and Rb treatments on the development of SMNs will be evaluated. Furthermore, screening and other prevention methods will be reviewed.

Screening for Retinoblastoma: A Systematic Review of Current Strategies

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to review the literature on various screening programs, devices, and applications described for the early detection of retinoblastoma.

DESIGN

Systematic review article.

METHODS

A PubMed® search was performed to identify articles published with specific reference to screening of neonates, infants and children for retinoblastoma.

RESULTS

Various devices and mobile phone-based applications based on altered red reflex are finding their way into community screening. Diagnosis of retinoblastoma by newborn eye screening is emphasized in several countries, and red reflex is the most widely employed technique.

CONCLUSIONS

Several screening programs for early detection of retinoblastoma are evolving in the developing countries, but the practices are not uniform. Universal newborn screening should be the norm. Newer tools and software can be utilized to screen infants on a community scale. Focussed research on revolutionizing digital imaging for a versatile screening tool holds promise for early diagnosis of retinoblastoma.

Socioeconomic status and retinoblastoma survival: Experience of a tertiary cancer center in Brazil

BACKGROUND

Little is known about socioeconomic status (SES) and its effects in childhood cancer survival. This study aims to discuss the association between SES and survival of patients with retinoblastoma (RB) from a tertiary treatment center.

PROCEDURE

A retrospective cohort study was conducted, including all patients with RB referred to the Brazilian National Institute of Cancer in Rio de Janeiro (January 2000-December 2016).

RESULTS

Data from 160 patients were analyzed with mean age at diagnosis of 22.85 months (SD ± 14.29). Eighty-three patients (51.9%) had an interval to diagnosis equal to or longer than six months, and 13 children (8.1%) abandoned treatment. Five-year overall survival rate for all patients was 78.8% (95% CI, 72.4%-85.9%). In a multivariate model, patients whose fathers had more than nine years of study had a lower death risk. Patients from families having more than one child under five years had a 213% higher risk of death compared with those living with no other small child. Treatment abandonment also had a profound effect on death risk.

CONCLUSION

Childhood cancer is notably important considering the potential years of life lost. RB has even more important elements, as the possibility of vision loss in cases with delayed diagnosis. Family characteristics seem to be highly related to RB survival, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where inequalities are still a public health issue. Strategies to improve survival should focus not only on large-scale settings such as improving national healthcare systems but also on more personalized actions that might help to mitigate disparities.

Ophthalmology examination during well-child visits in primary care health centres: Knowledge and difficulties experienced by health workers

INTRODUCTION

The red reflex examination (RRE) and visual acuity testing (VA) is a mandatory part of the examination during the well-child visits (WCV) in primary health care centres of the public system of health in Chile. The eye examination is aimed at the early detection of severe eye diseases in children, such as retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, and amblyopia. The knowledge and difficulties experienced by health workers in primary care health centres for evaluating the red reflex during WCV in Chile is unknown.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A survey was performed in primary community health centres of XXX Santiago de Chile.

RESULTS

The WCV were mainly performed by physicians (45.2%) and nurses (35.8%). Only 34% of health workers performed the red reflex test, and 42.3% checked VA during the WCV. The main reasons for not doing it include the lack of direct ophthalmoscopes and VA charts (55.2% and 43.9%, respectively) at their centres, and not having the knowledge or skills (29.3% and 22%, respectively) to properly perform these clinical tests.

CONCLUSION

In this series, the eye examination of children attending WCV was unfrequently performed. A better implementation of the health centres and training of the health workers are needed in order to improve the access and quality of the paediatric eye examination in primary health care institutions in Chile.

Next generation sequencing of RB1gene for the molecular diagnosis of ethnic minority with retinoblastoma in Yunnan

Background

Retinoblastoma is a rare intraocular malignancy and typically initiated by inactivating biallelic mutations of RB1 gene. Each year, ~ 8000 children worldwide are diagnosed for retinoblastoma. In high-income countries, patient survival is over 95% while low-income countries is ~ 30%.If disease is diagnosed early and treated in centers specializing in retinoblastoma, the survival might exceed 95% and many eyes could be safely treated and support a lifetime of good vision. In China, approximate 1100 newly diagnosed cases are expected annually and 28 hospitals covering 25 provinces established centers classified by expertise and resources for better treatment options and follow-up. Comparing with other province of eastern China, Yunnan province is remote geographically. This might result that healthcare staff have low awareness of the role of genetic testing in management and screening in families.

Methods

The patients with retinoblastoma were selected in Yunnan. DNA from blood was used for targeted gene sequencing. Then, an in-house bioinformatics pipeline was done to detect both single nucleotide variants and small insertions/deletions. The pathogenic mutations were identified and further confirmed by conventional methods and cosegregation in families.

Results

Using our approach, targeted next generation sequencing was used to detect the mutation of these 12 probands. Bioinformatic predictions showed that nine mutations were found in our study and four were novel pathogenic variants in these nine mutations.

Conclusions

It’s the first report to describe RB1 mutations in Yunnan children with retinoblastoma. This study would improve role of genetic testing for management and family screening.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12881-020-01150-7.

A decision process for drug discovery in retinoblastoma

Intraocular retinoblastoma treatment has changed radically over the last decade, leading to a notable improvement in ocular survival. However, eyes that relapse remain difficult to treat, as few alternative active drugs are available. More challenging is the scenario of central nervous system (CNS) metastasis, in which almost no advancements have been made. Both clinical scenarios represent an urgent need for new drugs. Using an integrated multidisciplinary approach, we developed a decision process for prioritizing drug selection for local (intravitreal [IVi], intrathecal/intraventricular [IT/IVt]), systemic, or intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) treatment by means of high-throughput pharmacological screening of primary cells from two patients with intraocular tumor and CNS metastasis and a thorough database search to identify clinical and biopharmaceutical data. This process identified 169 compounds to be cytotoxic; only 8 are FDA-approved, lack serious toxicities and available for IVi administration. Four of these agents could also be delivered by IT/IVt. Twelve FDA-approved drugs were identified for systemic delivery as they are able to cross the blood-brain barrier and lack serious adverse events; four drugs are of oral usage and six compounds that lack vesicant or neurotoxicity could be delivered by IAC. We also identified promising compounds in preliminary phases of drug development including inhibitors of survivin, antiapoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins, methyltransferase, and kinesin proteins. This systematic approach may be applied more broadly to prioritize drugs to be repurposed or to identify novel hits for use in retinoblastoma treatment.

Effect of miR-215 on the Expression of Tumor Suppressor Gene Rb1 in Retinoblastoma Cell Lines

Background:

Effect of miR-215 on the expression of tumor suppressor gene retinoblastoma (Rb)1 in Rb cell lines was investigated.

Methods:

A total of 128 patients were selected. The expression of miR-215 in cancer and adjacent healthy tissues of the 128 patients was detected by reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). HXO-Rb44 and Y79 cell lines were transfected with miR-215 analogs or miR-215 inhibitors, and the expression of Rb1 protein in the cell lines was detected by western blotting.

Results:

The expression of miR-215 in the adjacent healthy tissues of patients was significantly lower than that in cancer tissues (P<0.001). The expression of miR-215 in Y79 and HXO-Rb44 cells was significantly higher than that in APRE-19 cells (P<0.001). The expression of miR-215 in HXO-Rb44 cells was significantly higher than that in Y79 cells (P<0.001). The expression of miR-215 was statistically different from the degree of differentiation and nerve infiltration (P<0.05). The expression of Rb1 in cancer tissues was significantly lower than that in adjacent tissues (P<0.001), the expression of APRE-19 was significantly higher than that in Y79 and HXO-Rb44 cells (P<0.001), and the expression of Rb1 in HXO-Rb44 cells was significantly higher than that in Y79 cells (P<0.05). There was a negative correlation between miR-215 and Rb1 in the tissues of patients, and Rb1 expression decreased with the increase of miR-215 (r=-0.576, P<0.001).

Conclusion:

miR-215 is highly expressed in Rb cell lines, and is related to the clinicopathological features of this disease.

Assessment of Retinoblastoma Capacity in the Middle East, North Africa, and West Asia Region

PURPOSE

We aimed to evaluate the capacity to treat retinoblastoma in the Middle East, North Africa, and West Asia region.

METHODS

A Web-based assessment that investigated retinoblastoma-related pediatric oncology and ophthalmology infrastructure and associated capacity at member institutions of the Pediatric Oncology East and Mediterranean group was distributed. Data were analyzed in terms of availability, location, and confidence of use for each resource needed for the management of retinoblastoma. Resources were categorized by diagnostics, focal therapy, chemotherapy, advanced treatment, and supportive care. Responding institutions were further divided into an asset-based tiered system.

RESULTS

In total, responses from 23 institutions were obtained. Fifteen institutions reported the availability of an ophthalmologist, 12 of which held primary off-site appointments. All institutions reported the availability of a pediatric oncologist and systemic chemotherapy A significant portion of available resources was located off site. Green laser was available on site at seven institutions, diode laser at six institutions, cryotherapy at 12 institutions, and brachytherapy at nine institutions. There existed marked disparity between the availability of some specific ophthalmic resources and oncologic resources.

CONCLUSION

The assessment revealed common themes related to the treatment of retinoblastoma in low- and- middle-income countries, including decentralization of care, limited resources, and lack of multidisciplinary care. Resource disparities warrant targeted intervention in the Middle East, North Africa, and West Asia region to advance the management of retinoblastoma in the region.

Ocular preservation in patients with bilateral retinoblastoma before chemotherapy in situ era: A report from a Mexican Retinoblastoma Reference Hospital

BACKGROUND

Bilateral retinoblastoma (Rb) treatment remains a challenge for ophthalmologists and pediatric oncologists despite new therapeutic strategies for eye preservation. The purpose of this work is to evaluate treatment outcomes in patients who underwent eye salvage treatment at a single-center prior to the chemotherapy in situ era.

PROCEDURE

We followed a cohort of 88 consecutive Rb patients diagnosed at Hospital Infantil de México between November 2000 and June 2014. Eye salvage treatment consisted of systemic chemotherapy plus focal therapy planned by a multidisciplinary team. Unresponsive tumors were treated with episcleral brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy (EBRT).

RESULTS

A total of 96 eyes underwent eye salvaging therapy. Seventy-eight eyes (81%) were salvaged. Seven patients (8%) required brachytherapy and 34 patients (39%) underwent EBRT. Thirty-three of 78 preserved eyes (42%) achieved normal visual acuity: 5/27 (20%) in radiated patients and 28/51 (61%) in nonradiated patients. Eight patients developed secondary primary malignancies; however, those treated with EBRT did not have a significantly increased risk when compared with nonirradiated patients (OR: 1.66; P = 0.492). The overall survival rate was 86% (95% CI, 76%-92%) after a mean follow-up of 10 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Eye preservation, long-term tumor control, and functional visual acuity could be maintained in many child and adolescent Rb survivors. Our data suggest that ocular radiotherapy can be used as consolidation treatment when other recently developed therapies with potentially fewer side effects are not available. Multidisciplinary management of Rb is mandatory to obtain cancer control during eye salvage treatment.

Global Retinoblastoma Treatment Outcomes: Association with National Income Level

PURPOSE

To compare metastasis-related mortality, local treatment failure, and globe salvage after retinoblastoma in countries with different national income levels.

DESIGN

International, multicenter, registry-based retrospective case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Two thousand one hundred ninety patients, 18 ophthalmic oncology centers, and 13 countries on 6 continents.

METHODS

Multicenter registry-based data were pooled from retinoblastoma patients enrolled between January 2001 and December 2013. Adequate data to allow American Joint Committee on Cancer staging, eighth edition, and analysis for the main outcome measures were available for 2085 patients. Each country was classified by national income level, as defined by the 2017 United Nations World Population Prospects, and included high-income countries (HICs), upper middle-income countries (UMICs), and lower middle-income countries (LMICs). Patient survival was estimated with the Kaplan-Meier method. Logistic and Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to determine associations between national income and treatment outcomes.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Metastasis-related mortality and local treatment failure (defined as use of secondary enucleation or external beam radiation therapy).

RESULTS

Most (60%) study patients resided in UMICs and LMICs. The global median age at diagnosis was 17.0 months and higher in UMICs (20.0 months) and LMICs (20.0 months) than HICs (14.0 months; P < 0.001). Patients in UMICs and LMICs reported higher rates of disease-specific metastasis-related mortality and local treatment failure. As compared with HICs, metastasis-related mortality was 10.3-fold higher for UMICs and 9.3-fold higher for LMICs, and the risk for local treatment failure was 2.2-fold and 1.6-fold higher, respectively (all P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This international, multicenter, registry-based analysis of retinoblastoma management revealed that lower national income levels were associated with significantly higher rates of metastasis-related mortality, local treatment failure, and lower globe salvage.

Clinical, Genomic, and Pharmacological Study of MYCN-Amplified RB1 Wild-Type Metastatic Retinoblastoma

An uncommon subgroup of unilateral retinoblastomas with highly aggressive histological features, lacking aberrations in RB1 gene with high-level amplification of MYCN (MCYNamplRB1+/+) has only been described as intra-ocular cases treated with initial enucleation. Here, we present a comprehensive clinical, genomic, and pharmacological analysis of two cases of MCYNamplRB1+/+ with orbital and cervical lymph node involvement, but no central nervous system spread, rapidly progressing to fatal disease due to chemoresistance. Both patients showed in common MYCN high amplification and chromosome 16q and 17p loss. A somatic mutation in TP53, in homozygosis by LOH, and high chromosomal instability leading to aneuploidy was identified in the primary ocular tumor and sites of dissemination of one patient. High-throughput pharmacological screening was performed in a primary cell line derived from the lymph node dissemination of one case. This cell line showed resistance to broad spectrum chemotherapy consistent with the patient's poor response but sensitivity to the synergistic effects of panobinostat-bortezomib and carboplatin-panobinostat associations. From these cells we established a cell line derived xenograft model that closely recapitulated the tumor dissemination pattern of the patient and served to evaluate whether triple chemotherapy significantly prolonged survival of the animals. We report novel genomic alterations in two cases of metastatic MCYNamplRB1+/+ that may be associated with chemotherapy resistance and in vitro/in vivo models that serve as basis for tailoring therapy in these cases.

Travel burden and clinical presentation of retinoblastoma: analysis of 1024 patients from 43 African countries and 518 patients from 40 European countries

BACKGROUND

The travel distance from home to a treatment centre, which may impact the stage at diagnosis, has not been investigated for retinoblastoma, the most common childhood eye cancer. We aimed to investigate the travel burden and its impact on clinical presentation in a large sample of patients with retinoblastoma from Africa and Europe.

METHODS

A cross-sectional analysis including 518 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 40 European countries and 1024 treatment-naïve patients with retinoblastoma residing in 43 African countries.

RESULTS

Capture rate was 42.2% of expected patients from Africa and 108.8% from Europe. African patients were older (95% CI -12.4 to -5.4, p<0.001), had fewer cases of familial retinoblastoma (95% CI 2.0 to 5.3, p<0.001) and presented with more advanced disease (95% CI 6.0 to 9.8, p<0.001); 43.4% and 15.4% of Africans had extraocular retinoblastoma and distant metastasis at the time of diagnosis, respectively, compared to 2.9% and 1.0% of the Europeans. To reach a retinoblastoma centre, European patients travelled 421.8 km compared to Africans who travelled 185.7 km (p<0.001). On regression analysis, lower-national income level, African residence and older age (p<0.001), but not travel distance (p=0.19), were risk factors for advanced disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Fewer than half the expected number of patients with retinoblastoma presented to African referral centres in 2017, suggesting poor awareness or other barriers to access. Despite the relatively shorter distance travelled by African patients, they presented with later-stage disease. Health education about retinoblastoma is needed for carers and health workers in Africa in order to increase capture rate and promote early referral.

Delayed metastasis in patients with intraocular retinoblastoma: A review of three cases

PURPOSE

To discuss the clinical presentation, management, and outcome of delayed metastasis in retinoblastoma (RB).

METHODS

Retrospective case series of three patients.

RESULTS

Mean age at diagnosis of RB was 29 months (median, 28 months; range, 11-48 months). All were males with non-familial bilateral intraocular RB. Primary treatment for RB included intravenous chemotherapy in all three cases. Secondary treatment included transpupillary thermotherapy/cryotherapy (n = 6 eyes), periocular chemotherapy (n = 2 eyes), intravitreal chemotherapy (n = 1 eye), intra-arterial chemotherapy (n = 1 eye), external beam radiotherapy (EBRT; n = 2 eyes), and enucleation (n = 2 eyes). Primary tumor regression was achieved in all cases and remained status quo at the time of diagnosis of distant metastasis. Two patients developed bone metastasis (ulna; tibia) and one developed soft tissue metastasis (temporal fossa) over a mean follow-up period of 6 years (median, 7 years; range, 5-8 years) from diagnosis of RB. Mean age of detection of metastatic disease was 8 years (median, 8 years; range, 7-9 years). All the lesions were solitary and the diagnosis of metastatic retinoblastoma was confirmed by tissue biopsy. Metastatic disease was treated with surgical excision (n = 1), chemotherapy (n = 2), and EBRT (n = 2). All patients are alive, with two patients free of disease over a mean follow-up period of 23 months (median, 23 months; range, 12-33 months); and 1 in remission 7 months after completion of EBRT.

CONCLUSION

Long-term follow-up of RB cases is mandatory. In spite of intraocular tumor regression, metastasis can still occur many years after treatment of RB.

Programmed screening for retinoblastoma enhances early diagnosis and improves management outcome for high-risk children

PURPOSE

To study the impact of a Retinoblastoma (Rb) screening program in the absence of genetic testing on the management and outcome of high-risk children.

METHODS

This is a retrospective, clinical case series of 76 children from families involved in a Rb screening program as they had higher than normal risk as calculated by the conventional ways without genetic testing. Data included calculated risk, method of diagnosis, demographics, tumor features, treatment modalities, and management outcome.

RESULTS

Out of the 76 children screened, 46 children were diagnosed with Rb (12 by screening and 34 had signs of Rb), the other 30 were free of disease. Patients diagnosed by screening were younger (mean; 2.4 months vs 15.8 months for the group with signs of Rb), had significantly earlier tumor stage at diagnosis (p = .0001), higher eye salvage rate (p = .0001), less need for systemic chemotherapy (p = .022), and better visual outcome (p = .0017) than the other group. None of the eyes were group D or E, enucleated or irradiated. Six (50%) patients were cured without chemotherapy, and the visual acuity was 0.5 or better in 55% of eyes. Of interest, 71% of tumors were diagnosed by the age of 6 months, 90% by the age of 1 year, and no new tumor appeared after the age of 2 years.

CONCLUSION

Even in the absence of genetic testing, screening for children with high risk for Rb is effective in enhancing early diagnosis, improving visual outcome, and increasing eye salvage rate with limited exposure to treatment burden.

Role of ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) in the presentation of retinoblastoma: findings from the UK

Background

The relationship between the ethnic background or socioeconomic status (SES) and late retinoblastoma (Rb) presentation in the UK is unclear. We aimed to investigate if such correlations exist in a cohort of non-familial Rb cases.

Methods

A cross-sectional study based at the two centres providing Rb care in the UK. Included were non-familial Rb cases that presented from January 2006 to December 2011. Epidemiological and clinical data were retrieved from medical charts, as well as patients’ postcodes used to obtain the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) score. A postal questionnaire was sent to participants’ parents to collect further, person-level, information on languages spoken and household socioeconomic position. Statistical correlations to advanced Rb at presentation as well as to treatment by enucleation and need for adjuvant chemotherapy were investigated.

Results

The cohort included 189 cases, 98 (51.8%) of which were males. The median age at diagnosis was 16 months (IQR 8–34 months). Of the study patients, 153 (81%) presented with advanced Rb; 78 (41%) with group D and 75 (40%) with group E Rb. A total of 134 (72%) patients were treated with enucleation. South Asian ethnicity and being in the most deprived IMD quintile were associated with a higher likelihood of presentation with advanced disease, but these estimates did not reach statistical significance. Older age at presentation was associated with enucleation and bilateral disease with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Conclusions

In this national UK study of patients with non-familial Rb, there was no evidence of an association of ethnicity or SES and the risk of presenting with advanced disease. These findings may reflect equality in access of healthcare in the UK.

Retinoblastoma presentation, treatment and outcome in a large referral centre in Tehran: a 10-year retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Early diagnosis, care and treatment of retinoblastoma is a challengeable issue for Iranian health system. This study was designed and conducted in a referral multidisciplinary centre in the capital city of Iran to evaluate management, care, prognosis and survival rates of paediatric patients with retinoblastoma.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, a total number of 309 patients younger than 15 years, diagnosed with retinoblastoma, who referred for diagnosis and treatment to MAHAK's Pediatric Cancer Treatment and Research Center (MPCTRC) from 2007 to 2017 were evaluated. All data were analyzed via SPSS version 22 software in regard of parametric and non-parametric data. Survival rates were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meyer method.

RESULTS

The mean age of patients was 20 months and the majority of patients (77%) had leukocoria as a common clinical symptom at the time of diagnosis. Primary treatment methods were systemic chemotherapy (94%), laser (35%) and primary enucleation (28%). Relapses occurred in nearly 42% of cases, and the median time from diagnosis to the first relapse was 9 months. At the time analyzing the data, 11% of patients died. Patients' 5-year OS and RFS rates were 79.6% and 41.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Comparing results with other conducted studies identifies that the recurrence rate was high in our considered patients. Also, OS and RFS rates in our study were not as considerable as other reports. Screening methods, updating protocols and follow-up of patients may lead to improvements in survival rates of patients with retinoblastoma.

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level

Importance

Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale.

Objectives

To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis.

Results

The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]).

Conclusions and Relevance

This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs.

Spectrum of RB1 Germline Mutations and Clinical Features in Unrelated Chinese Patients With Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma (Rb) is a primary intraocular malignant tumor that occurs primarily in children, and results from loss-of-function mutations in the RB transcriptional corepressor 1 (RB1) gene. Genetic testing forms the basis of genetic counseling for affected families, as well as for clinical management of this disease. The aim of this study was to identify germline RB1 mutations and correlate the identified mutations with the clinical features of Rb patients. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood of 180 unrelated Rb patients and their parents (118 unilaterally and 62 bilaterally affected probands). Mutations in the RB1 gene, including the promoter region and exons 1-27 with flanking intronic sequences, were identified by Sanger sequencing. The samples with negative sequencing results were further subjected to methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA) to detect gross deletions or duplications. Sixty-three distinct mutations were identified in 75 of the 180 (41.7%) probands. Of the 75 patients carrying RB1 mutations, 56 developed bilateral Rb, while 19 developed unilateral Rb. The total detection rates for bilateral and unilateral Rb were 90.3% (56/62) and 16.1% (19/118), respectively. Among the 75 patients, the spectrum of mutation types comprised 29.3% (22/75) nonsense mutations, 22.7% (17/75) splicing mutations, 17.3% (13/75) small insertions/deletions, 16.0% (12/75) large deletions/duplications, and 13.3% (10/75) missense mutations, while only 1% (1/75) of the mutations were in the promoter region of the RB1 gene. Age at diagnosis was significantly different (p < 0.01) between patients with positive and negative test results for germline RB1 mutations. A c.2359C > T mutation (p.R787X) was identified in identical twins, but one child was affected bilaterally and the other unilaterally. Of the five patients with deletion of the entire RB1 gene, the deletion of two patients was inherited from unaffected parents. In conclusion, in this study, we provide a comprehensive spectrum of RB1 germline mutations in Chinese Rb patients, and describe the correlations among RB1 mutations, age at diagnosis, and laterality; moreover, we report that the clinical features of individuals carrying an identical mutation in the RB1 gene were highly variable, indicating that the pathogenesis of Rb is more complicated than currently believed.

Evaluating primary intra-arterial chemotherapy versus intravenous plus intra-arterial chemotherapy for advanced intraocular retinoblastoma

PURPOSE

Although intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) is commonly used for treating intraocular retinoblastoma, it is not a systemic therapy. We aimed to investigate whether the addition of intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) before IAC administration had any effects (whether beneficial or adverse) on patient outcomes.

METHODS

This multicenter retrospective cohort study included 213 patients with advanced intraocular retinoblastoma who received IVC plus IAC (n = 103) or IAC alone (n = 110) between April 2009 and January 2017. Eyes were grouped according to the International Intraocular Retinoblastoma Classification. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to compare survival outcomes between the two groups. Moreover, details regarding enucleation were recorded.

RESULTS

The 3-year ocular survival rates were 62% in the IVC plus IAC group and 68% in the IAC group (hazard ratio (HR) 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55-1.43, P = 0.61). Moreover, the corresponding 3-year overall survival rates were 97% and 93%, respectively (HR 1.56, 95% CI 0.41-5.90, P = 0.51), while the 3-year event-free survival rates were 76% and 72%, respectively (HR 0.96, 95% CI 0.56-1.65, P = 0.89).

CONCLUSIONS

Within a 3-year follow-up period, IVC plus IAC produced no additional benefit over primary IAC for treating advanced intraocular retinoblastoma in terms of local tumor control and extending survival. Longer follow-up periods are required to assess long-term efficacy.

Long non-coding RNA LEF1-AS1 is involved in the progression of retinoblastoma through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway

The lymphoid enhancer binding factor 1 antisense RNA 1 (LEF1-AS1) has been suggested to function as a tumour-associated lncRNA in several types of human cancers, but there is no study to date about the role of LEF1-AS1 in retinoblastoma. In our study, LEF1-AS1 expression was increased in retinoblastoma tissues and cell lines compared with paired adjacent normal tissues and the retinal pigment epithelial cell line, respectively. Meanwhile, we found that patients with retinoblastoma with IIRC D-E or undifferentiated type had notably higher levels of LEF1-AS1 expression than those with IIRC A-C or differentiated type. High LEF1-AS1 expression predicted poor disease-free survival in patients with retinoblastoma. The in vitro assays suggested that silencing of LEF1-AS1 suppressed retinoblastoma cell proliferation, migration, and invasion through regulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In conclusion, LEF1-AS1 functions as an oncogenic lncRNA in retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma Presentation and Survival: A four-year analysis from a tertiary care hospital

Objective

To study the clinical presentation, treatment, and outcome of Retinoblastoma (Rb) in a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Pediatric Hematology Oncology, The Indus Hospital (TIH), Karachi from 1st June 2013 to 30th June 2017. Data including patients' demography, clinical symptoms and duration, laterality, extent of the tumor, type of treatment, relapse, and final outcome were extracted and evaluated with respect to progression and survival.

Results

A total of 93 patients were included; 34.4% were boys. The median age at presentation was 30 months. Leukocoria was the commonest symptom (61.3%), followed by proptosis (37.6%). Unilateral disease was seen in 59.1%, extraocular tumors in 43.5% and metastasis in 28.1%. Enucleation was performed on 46.2%, chemotherapy given to 80.6% and external beam radiation therapy to 29.3% patients.

Conclusion

Delayed presentation, recurrent disease, extraocular disease and metastasis on presentation were factors affecting outcome in our cohort. Awareness about the early warning signs and symptoms in both public and health professionals for early recognition and timely management are mandatory to decrease morbidity and mortality.