Comprehensive Care for Retinoblastoma
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center is a national leader in providing sophisticated, multidisciplinary care for children with retinoblastoma. Our Retinoblastoma Program within the Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute builds upon the hospital’s well-established programs in cancer treatment, ophthalmic care and radiology. Every member of our care team is committed to treating the cancer effectively and, if possible, saving the child’s eye and helping to maintain his or her quality of life.
The Retinoblastoma Program is a joint effort of Cincinnati Children's and the department of ophthalmology at the University of Cincinnati. It is at the forefront of providing innovative therapies for patients with:
- Newly diagnosed and advanced unilateral intra-ocular retinoblastoma (tumor in one eye)
- Newly diagnosed and advanced bilateral intra-ocular retinoblastoma (tumor in both eyes)
- Extra-ocular retinoblastoma (tumor that has spread beyond the eye)
- Recurrent/refractory intra-ocular retinoblastoma (tumor that is resistant to treatment)
We offer extensive treatment options, such as surgery, front-line chemotherapy and radiation therapy, sometimes in combination with other sophisticated procedures. In addition, Cincinnati Children’s is one of only a few facilities in the United States to offer trans-catheter selective intraophthalmic-artery chemotherapy. This involves delivering chemotherapy drugs to the arteries behind the eye, rather than injecting them into the bloodstream. This approach has been found to treat the cancer effectively while limiting side effects.
Access to Innovative Research
Our physicians and researchers play a leading role in exploring innovative treatments for retinoblastoma through many national and international clinical studies. Our focus on research provides patients with early access to new anticancer therapies, sometimes years before they become widely available.
Cincinnati Children's is a major referral center for clinical care and research for the Children’s Oncology Group, the National Cancer Institute's new Pediatric Phase I Consortium and other national cancer research consortia. Many of our physicians serve in leadership positions for these organizations, ensuring that our patients have access to the most innovative and effective cancer treatments available. We are the only site in Ohio, and one of just a few nationwide, to offer pediatric Phase I clinical trials of the newest cancer therapies.
Leadership for the Retinoblastoma Program is provided by James I. Geller, MD, and James Augsburger, MD, both of whom are actively involved in patient care and clinical research.
