“We spent all Saturday at the hospital,” Maria continues. “Finally, in the late evening, we were given the diagnosis that we were dreading. Leo had retinoblastoma. An ultrasound performed immediately afterwards confirmed that the tumour had fortunately not spread, although it was dangerously near to the optic nerve.”

Immediate surgery required

By 7:30 Monday morning, within a mere 60 hours of spotting the white film over Leo’s eye in the photographs, the baby was in surgery, having his left eye removed by ophthalmologist and retinoblastoma specialist, Dr. Brenda Gallie. But for his family, the peace of mind that came with knowing the cancer had not spread was compensation enough.

“We were immensely lucky,” says Maria. “If we hadn’t taken the photographs and noticed the leukocoria, the outcome could havebeen far worse.”

Leo’s parents wanted to share this story with other parents and so contacted London Drugs to help increase awareness of leukocoria and retinoblastoma.

“Unfortunately, since retinoblastoma is a relatively rare form of cancer, even highly competent doctors may miss early evidence of the condition,” says Maria. “It’s important for parents to be vigilant and to be aware of the signs.”

The signs of retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignancy of childhood. The tumour arises in the retina of the eye and occurs in one of every 15,000 babies. Both hereditary and non-hereditary types of the condition exist, with roughly 95 percent of cases occurring without a family history.

Most cases of retinoblastoma are initially brought to the attention of an ophthalmologist because of a white pupil, or leukocoria. (This may not be apparent to the naked eye but—as with Leo—shows up in a photograph as a white reflex instead of a red reflex.) Having crossed or lazy eyes (strabismus) is the next most common sign. A diagnosis is usually made following a dilated eye exam by an ophthalmologist, combined with ultrasound and a CT scan.

Over 90 percent of North American children with retinoblastoma survive due to advances in treatment. The most important factor for both retained good vision and survival, however, is early recognition and timely management.