A Study of the Effectiveness of a Local Injection of Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma

Summary

Over the past 15 years, intravenous chemotherapy has become the most popular conservative (eye-saving) method for retinoblastoma treatment because it is often effective and usually safe. In recent years, there has been much interest in providing highly focused (focal) chemotherapy to a diseased organ including the liver, brain, and eye. With focused chemotherapy, the chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the ophthalmic artery (the artery that supplies blood to the eye). A benefit of focal chemotherapy delivery is that it decreases the chance of toxicity to other organs such as bone marrow suppression (causing low blood counts) and the development of other cancers in the future.

Timeline

Start

2009-01

Primary completion

2014-03

Completion

2014-04

Publications

• Background Tuncer S, Balci O, Tanyildiz B, Kebudi R, Shields CL. Intravitreal Lower-Dose (20 microg) Melphalan for Persistent or Recurrent Retinoblastoma Vitreous Seeds. Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina. 2015 Oct;46(9):942-8. doi: 10.3928/23258160-20151008-07.
• Background Shields CL, Manjandavida FP, Arepalli S, Kaliki S, Lally SE, Shields JA. Intravitreal melphalan for persistent or recurrent retinoblastoma vitreous seeds: preliminary results. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2014 Mar;132(3):319-25. doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2013.7666.

Drugs

Indications