A prospective study on the treatment of retinoblastoma in 72 patients.

Seventy-two patients with retinoblastoma (RTB) (unilateral [47 patients] and bilateral [25 patients]) were studied for a period of 6 years. Treatment consisted of enucleation of those eyes that had severe involvement and was followed by radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy (systemic or intrathecal) according to clinical pathologic staging. All patients who underwent nonsurgical treatment received systemic chemotherapy. Intrathecal chemotherapy was administered when there was involvement of the central nervous system. Nonsurgical treatment consisted of radiation therapy and/or light coagulation, followed by enucleation if there was no response. The overall survival rates were 79% for unilateral disease (median follow-up time, 63 months) and 72% for bilateral disease (median follow-up time, 81 months). Vision was regained in 14 of 21 conserved eyes.