title: Enucleation Refusal for Retinoblastoma: A Global Study.
abstract: Enucleation (eye removal) is often the only curative treatment for the childhood eye cancer retinoblastoma, yet parental refusal of enucleation commonly contributes to treatment delay and poor survival globally.
  
  
  
  Physicians who treat retinoblastoma were surveyed to glean underlying reasons for treatment refusal.
  
  
  
  Refusal rates were higher when less time was spent with parents explaining retinoblastoma/enucleation, and where fewer support services were available. Reasons for refusal included parental belief in alternative treatments, culture, and social stigma.
  
  
  
  We suggest strategies to increase parental compliance with enucleation and save the lives of children with retinoblastoma.
authors: a Faculty of Arts & Science , Human Biology Program , and.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Olteanu
authors: b Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science , University of Toronto .|c The Division of Visual Science , Toronto Western Research Institute , and.|d The Department of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences , The Hospital for Sick Children , Toronto , Ontario , Canada.
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Dimaras
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015353:Eye Enucleation; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006306:Health Surveys; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D019572:Retinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012175:Retinoblastoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Enucleation refusal; global survival disparity; health inequalities; retinoblastoma; treatment compliance; treatment delay