How Telemedicine and Centralized Care Changed the Natural History of Retinoblastoma in a Developing Country

Prognostic factors for eye globe salvage by external beam radiation therapy for resistant intraocular retinoblastoma

“…Few reports focused on the salvage rate by radiation therapy as initial treatment for Group Vb eyes. [ 14 15 20 ] Abramson et al . [ 20 ] described 63 Group Vb eyes treated initially by EBRT, and the ocular survival rate was 53.4% at 10 years, which is still higher than our 25% control rate for the same group.…”

“…Despite the use of new treatment options, such as laser photocoagulation,[ 8 ] cryotherapy,[ 9 ] plaque brachytherapy,[ 10 ] and thermochemotherapy[ 11 ] with good success rates, EBRT (mainly with the new advances in types and techniques of radiation) is still one of the most effective therapies for resistant cases to chemotherapy, particularly in situations where globe salvage is desired, like for example when the opposite eye is enucleated. [ 12 13 14 15 ]…”

Management and Outcomes of Unilateral Group D Tumors in Retinoblastoma

“…3 Approach to such eyes is highly customized based on the status of the patient, tumor stage expertise of the ocular oncologist and the available treatment options in a particular setup. 4,5,35 Despite the evolution of new treatment modalities, the management of unilateral group D retinoblastoma has led to several controversies. Firstly, treatment is not free of side effects (systemic and local), and these side effects may not be justified if the visual prognosis for the treated eye is poor, while the patient has a normal contralateral eye.…”

Telemedicine, Telementoring, and Technology: Improving Patient Outcomes and Access to Care in Low and Middle-Income Countries

“…In the article by Yousef et al, 1 (see page 130) a twinning partnership between the King Hussein Cancer Centre and the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital demonstrated the advantages of international collegial relationships for the electronic exchange and analysis of information in return for improved patient outcomes. This led to the successful decrease in mortality rates and increase in eye salvage rates among patients with retinoblastoma in Jordan, an upper middle-income country.…”

“…This led to the successful decrease in mortality rates and increase in eye salvage rates among patients with retinoblastoma in Jordan, an upper middle-income country. 1 In the realm of teleophthalmology, there are initiatives to ensure that at-risk populations are screened for diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), and retinoblastoma. 2 Telemedicine not only provides a viable alternative to in-person clinical visits but also plays a fundamental role in extending services in an efficient and cost-effective manner to regions that lack specialists or have limited options for local providers to obtain fellowship-level training.…”