If an orbital recurrence is diagnosed, your child will be treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, and with modern effective treatment, this is nearly always successful in eradicating the problem. These are very rare but can occur in children with the genetic form of the disease. The most common types of second tumour are cancers of the bone known as osteosarcoma, sarcomas of soft tissues and a skin cancer known as malignant melanoma. Osteosarcoma can arise in any bone in the body but most commonly in the leg or bones of the orbit around the eye. Soft tissue sarcomas can occur in the muscle of the face or in the abdomen.
Malignant melanoma tends to occur in the light exposed areas of the face and limbs.
These second tumours do not usually develop until many years after the initial diagnosis of retinoblastoma but if such a tumour occurs during childhood, it is a good idea for your child to be referred back to the Paediatric Oncologist working in the hospital where your child attended for treatment of the retinoblastoma, as all the records of the past treatment will be available there. Adults with the genetic form of retinoblastoma may develop adult type cancers such as breast, skin or lung cancer at an earlier age than normal and should avoid the known risk factors such as exposure to sun and smoking. A healthy diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables is recommended. Outlook Retinoblastoma has one of the best cure rates of all childhood cancers and over 9 out of 10 children with retinoblastoma can be cured. Remember that most of the complications outlined above are very rare.