WHAT IS STAGING?
Staging is a very important process that is used to identify the location and size of the tumor(s) at the time of diagnosis. For several decades, the Reese-Ellsworth staging system was used as the primary International Staging System for Retinoblastoma. It was designed to predict the chance of controlling the disease and saving the vision in the affected eye(s). In the late 1990s, a new staging system called the International Classification of Intraocular Retinoblastoma (IIRC) was developed, and it has replaced the Reese-Ellsworth system at most treatment centers. The IIRC classifies eyes from groups A to E (ABCDE), with A being more favorable and E being the most severe. This system grades tumors by their size, number, and location in the retina. The advantage of this new system is that it more accurately describes the degree of disease in the eye, helping health care providers better determine the type of therapy needed for each child.
WHAT ARE METASTASES?
Metastases refer to the spread of the tumor from its original location to other parts of the body. Retinoblastoma can metastasize to other parts of the eye, the surrounding tissue of the orbit, and the lymph nodes. In more advanced stages retinoblastoma can spread either to distant areas of the body, such as the bone, bone marrow, and liver, or to the brain, spine, and spinal fluid. Metastatic retinoblastoma is rare.
HEALTHY EYE
RETINOBLASTOMA
RETINA
FOVEA CENTRALIS
BLIND SPOT
TUMOR
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