Clinical Outcomes of Group D Retinoblastoma at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.
Chemotherapy plus local therapy salvaged the eye in most Group D retinoblastoma cases.
Clinical Outcomes of Group D Retinoblastoma at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Pakistan.
To evaluate the clinical outcomes of Group D retinoblastoma (retinoblastoma) managed with intravenous chemotherapy (intravenous chemotherapy) and local therapies at a tertiary care center in Pakistan over nine years, with a focus on globe salvage rates and their implications for resource-limited settings.
This retrospective, cross-sectional study included patients diagnosed with Group D retinoblastoma, classified under the International Classification of Retinoblastoma (International Classification of Retinoblastoma), at Patel Hospital, Karachi, from April 2013 to December 2022.
Out of 170 patients with retinoblastoma, 19 were identified with Group D disease, and 15 underwent globe salvage attempts.
The median age at diagnosis was 32 months, and bilateral disease was predominant (93%).
Leukocoria (60%) and strabismus (20%) were the most common presenting signs.
Kaplan-Meier survival rates demonstrated overall globe salvage rates of 93%, 76%, and 65% at one, two, and three years, respectively.
This study highlights the feasibility and effectiveness of intravenous chemotherapy coupled with local therapies in achieving high globe salvage rates in Group D retinoblastoma, even in resource-limited settings.
Despite the challenges of advanced disease presentation and socioeconomic barriers, these results underscore the importance of multidisciplinary care and the need to expand access to specialized treatment centers in low- and middle-income countries (low- and middle-income countries).