KATHMANDU, May 14: Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, in coordination with Nepal Medical Society's Eye Plastic Surgery unit, has launched an awareness campaign against eye cancer.
According to a statement issued by Tilganga Eye Hospital run by the institute, the awareness campaign called 'World Retinoblastoma Awareness Week' began on May 12 and will conclude on May 18.
Retinoblastoma is a kind of eye cancer, especially found in children. A child out of 15,000 to 20,000 births is generally affected by retinoblastoma, according to Tilganga. The disease may be a genetic problem.
WHO designates Tilganga Eye Hospital as its coordinating center
Retinoblastoma begins in the retina — the sensitive lining on the inside of the eye. Retinoblastoma most commonly affects young children, but can rarely occur in adults. The symptoms of the disease are white color in the center circle of the eye (pupil) when light is shone in the eye, such as when taking a flash photograph, eyes that appear to be looking in different directions, eye redness and eye swelling.
Any child below five years of age is vulnerable to the disease. The disease is treated by laser cryotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. If the treatment is delayed, the eyeball has to be removed.
Prof Dr Sanduk Ruit, executive director of Tilganga Institute, said that community health clinics should be more aware of the disease as the patients in the rural areas visit such clinics.
A total of 35 to 40 new cases of retinoblastoma are detected in Nepal annually. The death rate from retinoblastoma is 30-70 percent in the developing countries including Nepal while it is just about one percent in the developed countries.
Tilganga Eye Hospital has started a research on retinoblastoma that includes 27 hospitals of the seven provinces in the country.
