Eye cancer: 1 in 10 children with aggressive form of the disease have a six-month wait for diagnosis, warns charity
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust says 32% of children diagnosed with retinoblastoma last year had a delay of at least a month from their first visit to a GP or healthcare professional to being seen by a specialist
One in ten babies and children in the UK with an aggressive type of eye cancer have to wait more than six months to be diagnosed, a charity has warned.
The Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) found that 32% of children diagnosed with retinoblastoma in 2017 had a delay of at least a month from their first visit to a GP or other health professional to being seen at a specialist centre.
The charity has urged health visitors to be on the look out for symptoms of the fast growing cancer mainly seen in children under six years old.
NICE guidelines
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence state that a child should be referred urgently and seen within two weeks if retinoblastoma is suspected.
In 2017, 57% of children were referred urgently to a specialist centre, up from 40% in 2016.
However, 43% of the 54 children diagnosed waited longer than this, with 11% waiting more than six months.
Early diagnosis is essential in order to save a child’s eyes, sight and life. More than 70% of children will lose an eye to stop the cancer spreading.
Investigating potential symptoms
CHECT chief executive Patrick Tonks said: ‘Because it is found in babies and young children, health visitors have a crucial role to play in ensuring any potential symptoms are investigated as soon as possible.’
The two main symptoms of retinoblastoma are a white glow in a child’s eye, seen in dim lighting or when a photo is taken using a flash, and a squint, where the eyes do not look in the same direction.
Any child showing these symptoms should be referred to their GP or an optician to be examined.
If eye cancer is suspected, an urgent referral should be made in accordance with the NICE guidelines.
Further information
- More information from the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust
- NICE guidance Suspected cancer: recognition and referral
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