Five‑Year Experience in Treatment of Retinoblastoma with Intra‑Arterial Chemotherapy: A Single‑Center Analysis

Purpose: To report our 5‑year experience in treating retinoblastoma (RB) with intra‑arterial chemotherapy (IAC) as a primary or secondary therapy, without adjuvant intravitreal chemotherapy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 70 eyes with intraocular RB that were treated with primary or secondary IAC from December 2010‑2015. Demographic characteristics, clinical features, tumor control, and treatment complications were compared and reported. Results: Thirty-seven eyes had received IAC as a secondary therapy after failed/incomplete response to systemic chemotherapy, and 33 eyes had received IAC as a primary treatment. The mean age of patients was 25 ± 8.9 months, and the patients were followed for a mean of 24.5 ± 16.26 months. Overall, enucleation rates were significantly higher in advanced tumors (Group D and E) in both groups (both P < 0.05). The main reason for enucleation in this study group was being unresponsive to treatment (27.4%), with 76% of latter patients having vitreous seeds at the time of enucleation. Enucleation rates did not differ significantly between patients receiving primary (18/33, 54%) or secondary IAC (18/37, 48%) (P = 0.06). In addition, recurrence and complication rates did not differ significantly between eyes receiving IAC as their primary or secondary treatment (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In primary and secondary treatment of RB with IAC, the main findings that are globe salvage, recurrence, and complication rates were comparable when no adjuvant intravitreal chemotherapy was used.