Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma faster, cheaper, safer than systemic chemo

ATLANTA — Injecting chemotherapy into the ophthalmic artery was shown safer and faster to treat retinoblastoma while costing nearly half as much as systemic chemotherapy, a presenter said here.

David H. Abramson

"Super selective ophthalmic artery infusion of chemotherapy is faster. It's better. It's safer. It's cheaper, and it's a lot easier for the family," David H. Abramson, MD, FACS, said during Retina Subspecialty Day preceding the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "It's already replaced the majority of enucleations for advanced disease in our hands and has eliminated the need for systemic chemotherapy for all children over the age of 6 months."

Dr. Abramson said much of the disillusionment with systemic therapy for retinoblastoma is due to the expensive complications many children experience. With this new technique, he said, those complications are nearly nonexistent and total costs are cut nearly in half.

He showed that intra-arterial chemotherapy has been used on cases that were slotted for enucleation, bilateral cases and cases that had the potential for good vision, all with good results.

"The results were nothing less than astounding," he said.