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The role for intra-arterial chemotherapy for refractory retinoblastoma: a systematic review

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Abstract

Background

Intra-arterial chemotherapy is a new retinoblastoma treatment associated with high rates of globe salvage that has been widely adopted for primary treatment of retinoblastoma but is less frequently used as secondary treatment for refractory retinoblastoma. This systematic review aims to summarize the reported outcomes of intra-arterial chemotherapy for refractory retinoblastoma.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of studies published on PubMed, Medline, and Embase from 2011 to 2021 reporting globe salvage rates following intra-arterial chemotherapy for secondary treatment of refractory retinoblastoma.

Results

Our search yielded 316 studies, and 24 met inclusion criteria. The 24 included studies were comprised of 1366 patients and 1757 eyes. Among these, 1184 (67%) eyes received secondary indication treatment, and globe salvage was achieved for 776 of these 1184 eyes (64%). Sixteen studies reported cannulation success rates from 71.8 to 100%. Pooled analysis of subjects revealed 21 patients (2.6%) with metastatic disease and 26 deaths (3%) during study follow-up periods (7–74 months). The most common ocular complications were vitreous hemorrhage (13.2%), loss of eyelashes (12.7%), and periocular edema (10.5%). The most common systemic complications were nausea/vomiting (20.5%), neutropenia (14.1%), fever (8.2%), and bronchospasm (6.2%).

Conclusions

Intra-arterial chemotherapy is associated with high rates of globe salvage and low rates of serious complications in patients with refractory retinoblastoma. Unfortunately, current literature is predominantly comprised of retrospective case studies, and further high-quality evidence is necessary to inform clinical practice.

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Fig. 1

From: Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J, Altman DG, The PRISMA Group (2009). Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: The PRISMA Statement. PLoS Med 6(7): e1000097. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed1000097

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of New Mexico School of Medicine, MSC 09 5100, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    J. Runnels, A. Rose & M. Haynes

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    G. Acosta

  3. Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    D. Nikolaidis

  4. Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine, Pomona, CA, USA

    A. Wong

  5. Department of Neurosurgery, Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, CA, USA

    B. Fiani

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  1. J. Runnels
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Runnels, J., Acosta, G., Rose, A. et al. The role for intra-arterial chemotherapy for refractory retinoblastoma: a systematic review. Clin Transl Oncol 23, 2066–2077 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-021-02610-z

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