Monitoring

During treatment with chemotherapy, patients undergo regular, frequent examinations under anesthesia to assess the response.

There is no international consensus regarding screening of children with a family history of retinoblastoma. Children at high risk may be screened every 2 to 4 weeks for the first 8 weeks of life, followed by monthly examinations during the first year.[41]​ Screening may be performed in the clinic or under anesthesia. After the first year of life, children at risk may be screened under general anesthesia every 2 to 6 months depending on risk assessment.[41]

For all other patients with suspected retinoblastoma, no agreed examination schedule has been developed.[14] This is because the rate of formation of new retinoblastoma foci, the rate of recurrence of previously treated tumors, and the rate of formation of tumors in the fellow eye vary widely from patient to patient. The examination and treatment schedule is highly individualized and catered toward the patient's specific risk factors.

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