Nursery World - Quicker referrals needed to combat children's eye cancer

Babies and young children are facing serious delays in receiving treatment for eye cancer symptoms claims, according to research by the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT).

Rb is a fast-growing cancer of the eye, which mainly affects children under five. Around 40-50 children are diagnosed with Rb in the UK each year.

The trust has launched an awareness campaign after information gathered by the charity on children diagnosed with retinoblastoma (Rb) in the UK in 2012 found that 72 per cent of GPs did not make an urgent referral as recommended in the NICE guidelines.

Misdiagnosis ranged from conjunctivitis to a lazy eye, or in some cases it was dismissed completely. Referral times also varied, from two weeks to more than six months.

Many children will need at least one eye removed as the cancer is too advanced for other treatments by the time they are diagnosed. Early detection is crucial to saving the child's vision.

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