Children in low income countries 16 times more likely to die from most common eye cancer

Children with the eye cancer retinoblastoma in a low-income country are at 16 times higher risk of dying at any time within three years of diagnosis than those in high-income countries, according to a new study published in The Lancet Global Health.

The research, led by the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), found stark differences in survival for children with retinoblastoma, the most common form of childhood eye cancer, between high-income and low-income countries.

Retinoblastoma is the most common and devastating eye cancer that affects children worldwide, and early diagnosis and treatment are critical to prevent death or the loss of an eye. In high-income countries this risk has dropped dramatically over the last few decades, with death now rare due to robust diagnosis and treatment pathways, including specialist retinoblastoma centres.

The study, which is the largest and most geographically comprehensive on retinoblastoma to date, looked at survival data in 4,064 children with retinoblastoma from 149 countries (categorised as high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low-income) globally. These are estimated to be 50% of all new cases worldwide in 2017.

The team analysed the three-year survival rate for these children following their diagnosis, finding that over two-fifths (40%) of children die within three years of diagnosis in low-income countries, compared with fewer than one in 100 (1%) in high-income countries.

Reference: "Children in low-income countries 16 times more likely to die from most common eye cancer" LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE; JOURNAL-The Lancet Global Health.