Juvenile eye cancer on the rise

Emmanuel Kafe

THERE is a worrying increase in eye cancer cases among children, leading to irreversible loss of eyesight, a report has revealed.

According to the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry, which released the report on Thursday to coincide with commemorations to mark International Childhood Cancer Day, about 300 cases of paediatric cancer are reported annually. Retinoblastoma, which is a rare form of eye cancer affecting children, accounted for 15 percent of all paediatric cancers for children aged 0 to 14 years.

Chief Government ophthalmologist Dr Boniface Macheka, who is also head of Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Hospital, said retinoblastoma is cause for concern due to its detrimental impact on eyesight.

“Sight is the most important sense we have as human beings and if we are not attending to it, one can get blind from something that can be prevented,” said Dr Macheka.

“Retinoblastoma is a rare cancer which affects one in 17 000 to 20 000 live births, but when it does occur, it can be very devastating. However, it can be dealt with if identified early.”

It is believed that about 60 percent of cases involve only one eye.

Early identification, Dr Macheka added, is crucial to provide timely treatment options such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, as retinoblastoma usually manifests at birth, if it is hereditary.

He said the Government has been rolling out awareness campaigns to educate parents, caregivers and primary healthcare workers on how to identify the eye condition early.

“This way, we can increase awareness even from the clinics where nurses who administer routine vaccinations on children can help to identify eye cancer early.”

According to studies, most children (95 percent) with eye cancer who begin treatment before the retinoblastoma has spread beyond the eye can be cured.

“A child with this condition can be identified by looking at the eyes, or even when you try to take a picture of that child, you can tell that the eye is not normal. Once it is established, there are various treatment methods available. We only have to catch it early,” Dr Macheka said.

Last week, KidzCan Zimbabwe, an organisation that offers support to children affected by cancer, launched the Orange Month campaign to raise awareness on child cancer.

The campaign was part of the International Childhood Cancer Day commemorations on Thursday. KidzCan Zimbabwe executive director Mr Daniel McKenzie said there is a lot of ignorance on child cancer.

He said the top three cancers that affect children are eye cancer (retinoblastoma), kidney cancer (Wilms tumour) and blood cancer (leukaemia).

“The major challenge is that many of our people do not know that children get cancer, and this means when they turn up for treatment, it’s already late,” said Mr McKenzie.

“This is further compounded by poverty and the religious and cultural orientation that often result in treatment abandonment, spiking the mortality rate.

“Our patients lack good nutrition in some cases because good nutrition is central to the treatment of cancer as it allows the body to recover in time for treatment.”