Bangalore, Karnataka -- (SBWire) -- 03/20/2012 --Isak Ibraham from Tanzania was one among the unlucky 1,00,000 children across the globe suffering from retinoblastoma or cancer of the eye. It was a double whammy for the two-year-old as he was diagnosed with cancer in both eyes.
A study says it's the most common eye cancer in children and constitutes 3% of all cancers in kids. The incidence is about 1 in 1,00,000 under 5 years but 80% of the cases are seen in children below 4 years.
Isak was diagnosed in Tanzania in early 2011, and his left eye was surgically removed. But he faced the danger of losing his other eye. His mother then came to HCG Cancer Hospital in Bangalore for a second opinion and saved his right eye.
Dr CP Raghuram, consultant, paediatric oncologist, HCG Cancer Hospital, said: "We wanted to treat the cancer while trying to save the other eye and his vision. We first gave him chemotherapy to shrink the tumor. We also preserved his eye by reducing the size of the tumor and making it amenable for local treatment by the ophthalmologist."
Dr Raghuram said organ and vision preservation is the main concern in children with retinoblastoma. Abnormality in the eye with squint is its usual symptom. "If untreated, children will lose their vision and could be life threatening," he said. Isak also received laser and thermotherapy in an eye hospital. He is completely cured now and has left for Tanzania, said the doctor.
Mazumdar Shaw Cancer Centre, Narayana Hrudayalaya, has set up a radiation therapy facility for children, inaugurated on the occasion of World Paediatric Cancer Day. "Most paediatric cancers are chemoand radio-sensitive tumors, now there are ways to ensure long-term safety for such cases," says Dr Sandeep Jain, consultant radiation oncologist.
Tanzanian Kid Cured of Cancer