Retinoblastoma: treatment and survival in Great Britain 1963 to 2002.
OBJECTIVE
This paper describes the treatment and survival of 1576 children with retinoblastoma in Great Britain diagnosed 1963-2002.


METHODS
Survival rates were analysed according to period of diagnosis and tumour laterality.


RESULTS
Survival was calculated by calendar period of diagnosis, 1963-1982 and 1983-2002. For both unilateral and bilateral retinoblastoma, survival improved between the two periods. The survival curves for the two periods were significantly different: for unilateral retinoblastoma p<0.00001, for bilateral p<0.01. For unilateral cases, the estimated 5-year survival rates rose from 85% for those diagnosed in 1963-1967 to 97% for those diagnosed in 1998-2002. The equivalent rates for bilateral cases were 88% and 100%.


CONCLUSIONS
Survival rates were already high at the start of the study period. They increased with changes in treatment regimens.
MacCarthy
A
A
Childhood Cancer Research Group, University of Oxford, 57 Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HJ, UK. angela.maccarthy@ccrg.ox.ac.uk
Birch
J M
JM
Draper
G J
GJ
Hungerford
J L
JL
Kingston
J E
JE
Kroll
M E
ME
Stiller
C A
CA
Vincent
T J
TJ
Murphy
M F G
MF
D000293:Adolescent; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015353:Eye Enucleation / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology