Staging and Grouping of Retinoblastoma

Abstract

The classification of most tumors results from an interaction between pathologists, oncologists, and the surgeon often aided by a tissue biopsy. Retinoblastoma is unique among childhood malignancies in that a direct biopsy is not done for diagnosis and currently classification is based on clinical features only. Additionally, for solid childhood malignancies, survival of the patient is generally the sole endpoint to measure therapeutic efficacy. However, in retinoblastoma, effective salvage of the globe is another critical and clinically relevant endpoint. For this reason group classifications for retinoblastoma are often tumor classifications; to be successful, they must reflect clinical reality and must be updated as the treatments change.