Efficacy and toxicity of intravitreous chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: Four-year experience Journal Article


Authors: Francis, J. H.; Brodie, S. E.; Marr, B.; Zabor, E. C.; Mondesire-Crump, I.; Abramson, D. H.
Article Title: Efficacy and toxicity of intravitreous chemotherapy for retinoblastoma: Four-year experience
Abstract: Purpose To investigate the efficacy and toxicity of intravitreous melphalan for treatment of retinoblastoma, as a single agent or with concomitant topotecan. Participants A total of 130 eyes of 120 patients with retinoblastoma receiving 630 intravitreous (melphalan, topotecan) or topotecan periocular injections. A total of 83 (64%) of these eyes were treated with concomitant ophthalmic artery chemosurgery (OAC). Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Indirect ophthalmoscopy and clinical imaging were used to evaluate clinical response. Ocular survival and disease-free survival were estimated using Kaplan–Meier methods in 130 eyes. Ocular toxicity was evaluated by clinical findings and electroretinography (ERG) on 244 evaluable injections in 63 patients using 30-Hz flicker responses. Analysis was performed using linear mixed effects models with a random intercept and slope for each patient and a fixed effect for number of injections, in addition to any other fixed effect of interest. Main Outcome Measures Ocular survival, disease-free survival, ERG: peak-to-peak ERG amplitudes in response to 30-Hz photopic flicker stimulation. Results There were no disease- or treatment-related deaths, and no patient developed externalization of tumor or metastatic disease. Two-year Kaplan–Meier estimates of ocular survival and disease-free survival were 94.2% (95% confidence interval, 89.2–99.4) and 86.2% (95% confidence interval, 78.7–94.5), respectively. There was a significant association between the number of injections and diminished ERG responses, such that on average each intravitreous melphalan injection was associated with a 5.3-μV decrease in ERG amplitude (P < 0.001). Concomitant intra-arterial chemotherapy (P = 0.01) and greater inherent ocular pigment also were significantly associated with a reduction in ERG (P = 0.045). Patient age and weight, new injection site location, addition of topotecan, concomitant focal treatment, and time interval between injections were not significantly associated with toxicity. Conclusions Intravitreous melphalan is an effective treatment for vitreous seeding in retinoblastoma, resulting in high rates of ocular survival and disease-free survival. However, in this study, each injection of melphalan was associated, on average, with a decrement in ERG response. The findings suggest increased toxicity (1) when OAC is given within 1 week of the intravitreous injection and (2) in more deeply pigmented eyes. © 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology
Journal Title: Ophthalmology
Volume: 124
Issue: 4
ISSN: 0161-6420
Publisher: Elsevier Science, Inc.  
Date Published: 2017-04-01
Start Page: 488
End Page: 495
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2016.12.015
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 28089679
PMCID: PMC5441308
DOI/URL:
Notes: Conference Paper -- Export Date: 4 April 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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  1. Brian Marr
    112 Marr
  2. Jasmine Helen Francis
    261 Francis
  3. David H Abramson
    394 Abramson
  4. Scott Brodie
    38 Brodie
  5. Emily Craig Zabor
    172 Zabor