In retinoblastoma survivors, oculo-visual issues tied to QoL

(HealthDay)—Oculo-visual problems among adult retinoblastoma survivors are associated with patient-reported vision-targeted health-related quality of life (HRQoL), according to a study published online April 26 in JAMA Ophthalmology.

Danielle Novetsky Friedman, M.D., from the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, and colleagues examined vision-targeted HRQoL using the 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Field Questionnaire (VFQ) among 470 participants in the retrospective cohort Retinoblastoma Survivor Study (mean age at study, 43.3 years). Items were scored from 0 to 100, with 100 representing the highest quality of life.

The researchers found that 86 percent of participants had at least one eye removed, 56.5 percent were previously treated with radiotherapy, and 61.3 percent rated their eyesight as excellent/good, while 16.2 percent reported complete blindness. The overall mean VFQ composite score was 81.1. It was higher for unilateral retinoblastoma survivors than for bilateral retinoblastoma survivors (91.4 versus 72.3). There was no association between prior exposure to radiotherapy and decreased overall VFQ, but prior exposure was related to a few specific subdomains of visual functioning.

"These findings suggest retinoblastoma-related oculo-visual problems are associated with functional status and vision-targeted HRQoL of adult survivors, particularly among those with bilateral disease," the authors write.

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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