Patients who receive treatment for eye cancer will typically attend follow-up examinations every three months. Certain tests, such as MRI, may be performed to ensure that the cancer has not reappeared or spread to other areas of the body. Children with retinoblastoma may be at risk for developing other cancers, including brain tumors. They may require regular MRIs or other tests to monitor for a new appearance of cancer. Patients are encouraged to immediately report any new symptoms to their physician. New symptoms can indicate recurrence of a cancer or side effects from treatment.
Eye cancer patients may also face loss of vision or vision impairment and cosmetic problems associated with their treatment. When an eye is removed through enucleation, a prosthesis is used to replace it. In addition, some treatments may cause a sagging or caved-in appearance of the eye, which can also be treated.
There is no known method of preventing eye cancers. People may be able to reduce their risk by limiting their exposure to direct sunlight and wearing sunglasses with 99 to 100 percent UVA and UVB absorption. However, there are no steps that a parent or child can take to reduce a child?€?s risk of developing retinoblastoma.