Skip to main content

Intra-arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma: A Team Effort

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Global Perspectives in Ocular Oncology

Abstract

Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) for retinoblastoma treatment, also called superselective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy or chemosurgery, is a technique that allows a localized drug delivery to the ocular target. Currently, it is restricted to retinoblastoma (RB), permitting primary and salvage treatment for moderate and advanced RB (stage B to selected E), especially in eyes that would otherwise undergo enucleation. Intra-arterial chemosurgery conserves many eyes with retinoblastoma avoiding at the same time the risks of systemic chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 99.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Reese AB, Hyman G, Tapley N, Forrest AW. The treatment of retinoblastoma by X-ray and triethilene melamine. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1958 Nov;60(5):897–906.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Inomata M, Kaneko A. Chemosensitivity profiles of primary and cultured human retinoblastoma cells in a human tumor clonogenic assay. Jpn J Cancer Res. 1987 Aug;78(8):858–68.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Suzuki S, Kaneko A. Management of intraocular retinoblastoma and ocular prognosis. Int J Clin Oncol. 2004 Feb;9(1):1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kaneko A, Suzuki S. Eye-preservation treatment of retinoblastoma with vitreous seeding. Jpn J Clin Oncol. 2003 Dec;33(12):601–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Yamane T, Kaneko A, Mohri M. The technique of ophthalmic arterial infusion therapy for patients with intraocular retinoblastoma. Int J Clin Oncol. 2004 Apr;9(2):69–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Abramson DH, Dunkel IJ, Brodie SE, Kim JW, Gobin YP. A phase I/II study of direct intraarterial (ophthalmic artery) chemotherapy with melphalan for intraocular retinoblastoma initial results. Ophthalmology. 2008 Aug;115(8):1398–404.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Pekacka A. The role of intraarterial chemotherapy in the management of retinoblastoma. J Ophthalmol. 2020 Jan;24:3638410. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3638410.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Abramson DH. Super selective ophthalmic artery delivery of chemotherapy for intraocular retinoblastoma: ‘chemosurgery’ the first Stallard lecture. Br J Ophthalmol. 2010 Apr;94(4):396–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Hadjistilianou T, Coriolani G, Bracco S, Gennari P, Caini M, Cerase A, et al. Successful treatment of macular retinoblastoma with superselective ophthalmic artery infusion of melphalan. J Pediatric Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2014 Jan-Feb;51(1):32–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Abramson DH, Dunkel IJ, Brodie SE, Marr B, Gobin YP. Superselective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy as primary treatment for retinoblastoma (chemosurgery). Ophthalmology. 2010 Aug;117(8):1623–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. De Francesco S, Galluzzi P, Bracco S, Menicacci F, Motolese E, Hadjistilianou T. Alternated intra-arterial and intravitreal chemotherapy for advanced intraocular retinoblastoma: preliminary successful results without systemic chemotherapy. Int Ophthalmol. 2015 Dec;35(6):887–95.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gobin PY, Dunkel IJ, Marr BP, Francis JH, Brodie SE, Abramson DH. Combined, Sequential intravenous and intra-arterial chemotherapy (bridge chemotherapy) for young infants with retinoblastoma. PLoS One [Internet]. 2012;7(9):e44322. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0044322.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Abramson DH, Marr BP, Francis JH, Dunkel IJ, Fabius AWM, Brodie SE, et al. Simultaneous bilateral ophthalmic artery chemosurgery for bilateral retinoblastoma (tandem therapy). PLoS One [Internet]. 2016;11(6):e0156806. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0156806.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Stacey AW, De Francesco S, Borri M, Hadjistilianou T. The addition of Topotecan to Melphalan in the treatment of retinoblastoma with intra-arterial chemotherapy. Ophthalmol Retina. 2020 Nov;19 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oret.2020.11.007.

  15. De Francesco S, Pichi F, Lembo A, Mastrangelo D, Paradiso A, De Luca M, et al. Massive anterior chamber involvement after intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: ultrasound biomicroscopy and histopathology. Int Ophthalmol. 2014 Aug;34(4):967–70.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Zanaty M, Barros G, Chalouhi N, Starke RM, Manasseh P, Tjoumakaris SI, et al. Update on intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma. ScientificWorldJournal. 2014;2014:869604.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Bertelli E. Anatomy of the eye and human visual system. Piccin Nuova Libraria: Padova, Italy; 2019. 423 p.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Bertelli E, Leonini S, Galimberti D, Moretti S, Tinturini R, Hadjistilianou T, et al. Hemodynamic and anatomic variations require an adaptable approach during intra-arterial chemotherapy for intraocular retinoblastoma: alternative routes, strategies, and follow-up. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2016 Jul;37(7):1289–95.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bracco S, Venturi C, Leonini S, Romano DG, Cioni S, Vallone IM, et al. Transorbital anastomotic pathways between the external and internal carotid systems in children affected by intraocular retinoblastoma. Surg Radiol Anat. 2016 Jan;38(1):79–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Klufas MA, Gobin YP, Marr B, Brodie SE, Dunkel IJ, Abramson DH. Intra-arterial chemotherapy as a treatment for intraocular retinoblastoma: alternatives to direct ophthalmic artery catheterization. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2012 Sep;33(8):1608–14.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Cooke D, Farid H, Kim W, Dowd W, Higashida R, Halbach V. Zygomatico-orbital intra-arterial melphalan infusion for intraocular retinoblastoma. J Neurointerv Surg. 2012 Jul;4(4):e16. https://doi.org/10.1136/neurintsurg-2011-010019.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Pham C-T, Blanc R, Lumbroso-Le Rouic L, Pistocchi S, Bartolini B, Piotin M. Access to the ophthalmic artery by retrograde approach through the posterior communicating artery for intra-arterial chemotherapy of retinoblastoma. Neuroradiology. 2012 Aug;54(8):845–8. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-011-0978-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Saglam M, Sarici A, Anagnostaku V, Yildiz B, Kocer N, Islak C, et al. An alternative technique of the superselective catheterization of the ophthalmic artery for intra-arterial chemotherapy of the retinoblastoma: retrograde approach through the posterior communicating artery to the ophthalmic artery. Neuroradiology. 2014 Sep;56(9):751–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Amans MR, Narvid J, Van Halbach V. Intra-arterial chemotherapy for bilateral retinoblastoma via left ophthalmic artery and right anterior deep temporal artery. BMJ Case Rep. 2014;2014:bcr2014204549. https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2014-204549.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Bartolini B, Puccinelli F, Hajdu SD, Stathopoulos C, Beck-Popovic M, Munier FL, et al. Middle meningeal artery occlusion for intra-arterial chemotherapy of retinoblastoma. Interv Neuroradiol. 2019 Jun;25(3):335–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Abruzzo TA, Geller JI, Kimbrough DA, Geller JI, Kinbrough DA, Michaels S, Correa ZM, Cornell K, et al. Adjunctive techniques for optimization of ocular hemodynamics in children undergoing ophthalmic artery infusion chemotherapy. J Neurointerv Surg. 2015;7(10):770–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Venturi C, Bracco S, Cerase A, Cioni S, Galluzzi S, Gennari P, et al. Superselective ophthalmic artery infusion of melphalan for intraocular retinoblastoma: preliminary results from 140 treatments. Acta Ophthalmol. 2013;91(4):335–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Buddu S, Abramson DH, Marr BP, Francis JH, Gobin YP. Selective ophthalmic artery chemosurgery (SOAC) for retinoblastoma: fluoroscopic time and radiation dose parameters. A baseline study. J Neurointerv Radiol. 2017 Nov;9(11):1107–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Guasti A, Leonini S, Bertelli E, Baldi R, Gennari P, Cioni S, Vallone IM, Romano DG, Casseri T, Guerrini L, La Rocca AE, Scala PGD, De Francesco S, Hadjistilianou T, Bracco S. Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: the dosimetric impact. Neuroradiology. 2019 Sep;61(9):1083–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Gobin YP, Dunkel IJ, Marr BP, Brodie SE, Abramson DH. Intra-arterial chemotherapy for the Management of Retinoblastoma: four year experience. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129(6):732–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Marr BP, Brodie SE, Dunkel IJ, Gobin YP, Abramson DH. Three-drug intra-arterial chemotherapy using simultaneous carboplatin, topotecan and melphalan for intraocular retinoblastoma: preliminary results. Br J Ophthalmol. 2012 Oct;96(10):1300–3. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjophthalmol-2012-301925.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Abramson, Gerardi CM, Ellsworth RM, McCormick B, Sussman D, Turner L. Radiation regression patterns in treated retinoblastoma: 7 to 21 years later. J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 1991 Mar-Apr;28(2):108–12.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Ancona-Lezama D, Dalvin LA, Shields CL. Modern treatement of retinoblastoma: a 2020 review. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2020;68(11):2356–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Shields CL, Bianciotto CG, Jabbour P, Griffin GC, Ramasubramanian A, Rosenwasser R, Shields JA. Intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: report no. 2, treatment complications. Arch Ophthalmol. 2011;129(11):1407–15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Abramson DH, Daniels AB, Marr BP, Francis JH, Brodie SE, Dunkel IJ, et al. Intra-arterial chemotherapy (ophthalmic artery chemosurgery) for group D retinoblastoma. PLoS One. 2016 Jan;11(1):e0146582. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146582.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Munier FL, Beck-Popovic M, Balmer A, Gaillard MC, Bovey E, Binaghi S. Occurrence of sectoral choroidal occlusive vasculopathy and retinal arteriolar embolization after superselective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy for advanced intraocular retinoblastoma. Retina. 2011;31(3):566–73.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Muen WJ, Kingston JE, Robertson F, Brew S, Sagoo MS, Reddy MA. Efficacy and complications of super-selective intra-ophthalmic artery melphalan for the treatment of refractory retinoblastoma. Ophthalmology. 2011;118(10):2081–7.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Stathopoulos C, Gaillard MC, Puccinelli F, Maeder P, Hadjistilianou D, Beck-Popovic M, Munier FL. Successful conservative treatment of massive choroidal relapse in 2 retinoblastoma patients monitored by ultrasound biomicroscopy and/or spectral domain optic coherence tomography. Ophthalmic Genet. 2018 Apr;39(2):242–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Jabbour P, Chalouhi N, Tjoumakaris S, Gonzalez LF, Dumont AS, Chitale R, Rosenwasser R, Bianciotto CG, Shields C. Pearls and pitfalls of intraarterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma. J Neurosurg Pediatr. 2012 Sep;10(3):175–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Hadjistilianou T, De Francesco S, De Luca M, Borri M, Micheli L, Bracco S, et al. Superselective intraarterial chemotherapy complications in advanced retinoblastoma. Acta Ophthalmologica. 2011;89(supplement):S248.

    Google Scholar 

  41. Kaewkhaw R, Rojanaporn D. Retinoblastoma: etiology, modeling, and treatment. Cancers. 2020 Aug;12(8):2304. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers12082304.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Abramson DH, Shields CL, Jabbour P, Teixeira LF, Fonseca JRF, Marques MCP, et al. Metastatic deaths in retinoblastoma patients treated with intraarterial chemotherapy (ophthalmic artery chemosurgery) worldwide. Int J Retin Vitr. 2017 Oct 23;3:40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40942-017-0093-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Theodora Hadjistilianou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Hadjistilianou, T., Bracco, S., Barchitta, M., Bertelli, E. (2022). Intra-arterial Chemotherapy for Retinoblastoma: A Team Effort. In: Chawla, B.V., Aronow, M.E. (eds) Global Perspectives in Ocular Oncology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08250-4_7

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-08250-4_7

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-08249-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-08250-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics