The progress of intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma

Abstract

Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) is an interventional treatment for retinoblastoma (RB) which infuses the chemotherapeutic agents through ophthalmic artery using microcatheters to control the tumor. Compared with systemic chemotherapy, IAC could significantly increase the globe salvage of advanced and recurrent RB without serious adverse event. Due to the absence of systemic absorption after IAC, no longer effectively kill tumor cell, which have potential danger to leads to inadequate elimination extraocular tumor cells. The most common systemic complications following IAC is myelosuppression; local ocular toxicities include eyelid edema, delacrimation, blepharoptosis, vitreous hemorrhage, retinal artery obstruction. During the last 10 years of clinical application, IAC become one of first-line treatment for intraocular RB. However, at present, there is still a lack of randomized controlled multicenter studies and long-term follow up of IAC. Key words: Retinoblastoma/therapy; Chemotherapy, cancer, regional perfusion; Review