BHUBANESWAR: Early detection and treatment are crucial to ensure better outcomes for children with retinoblastoma (eye cancer), said health experts at Whitathon walk organised by LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) here on Sunday.
Over the past decade, LVPEI has treated more than 2,500 children affected by this eye cancer, about 60 per cent of them at no cost to the patients.
Annually, the institute treats 150 to 200 new cases of retinoblastoma, with about 40 per cent of them at an advanced stage, and about 10 per cent at a very advanced stage. “The numbers underscore the lack of awareness of the disease as well as the need to promote it within the community. Delayed diagnosis can lead to a fatal outcome,” the experts said.
Retinoblastoma is a rare eye cancer that primarily affects children under three years of age. The treatment usually involves multiple expensive procedures and surgeries with close monitoring over several months to years.
The event commemorates World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week, observed between the second and third Sundays of May every year. This year over 180 participants joined the cause, demonstrating a strong community support for the event.