Retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye)

Just saw the post re testicular cancer and thought I would mention a similar sort of thing.

Our son is almost 8 months and has been diagnosed with retinoblastoma, childhood cancer in the eye. His tumors were detected from a photo I had out on Facebook where I had used a flash. Basically one eye correctly reflected red as you often see but the other eye reflects white or has a white glow about it. A friend saw the photo and said it wasn't normal, and within 24 hours we had a tentative cancer diagnosis.

Our ophthalmologist said they now suggest mothers take a photo of their child from birth until 5 years, using a flash, once a month and check for a double red eye reflection. You may need to remove the red eye fix on your camera to do it.

It's such a rare cancer but so easy to 'test' for, so please take the time to look at your photos and photos of friend's kids. If its detected early enough it's much easier to treat :)

Wow that's really interesting, never heard of that before! Certainly worth knowing, and I hope your little one recovers well :)

Thanks for posting this Kel. Hope your little man's treatment is going well xxx

Right, where's the camera? It does seem like such an easy test... Thanks for posting. Hope your little man is going ok xx

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/12/11/08/bety2y7u.jpg is the link to the image.

Please remove this admin if I'm not allowed to upload but this is one of the photos of Finn that shows the white eye reflection :)

Hope it works, I'm on tapatalk sorry!

I'm pretty sure we have pics of DD like this, I'm going to check now. I've read about this happening before. Is it always the case that something is wrong, or can it be nothing sometimes? Now I need to confirm we have a pic like this.

Btw, your son is stunning.

Sending best wishes to your son and your family!

Thank you for sharing your beautiful boy, if you help just 1 person you have done an amazing thing. Hope treatment going well.

I had a friend who's daughter was diagnosed with the same thing, also due to a photo. I was paranoid about DD for ages after this as we would get the odd photo where her eyes looked funny but I also read that some cameras are more likely to create this effect (not sure if its true or not). Still, it's better to be safe than sorry!

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I'm pretty sure we have pics of DD like this, I'm going to check now. I've read about this happening before. Is it always the case that something is wrong, or can it be nothing sometimes? Now I need to confirm we have a pic like this.

Btw, your son is stunning.

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I think it can be a case of it being nothing, if its not happening all the time. I have one photo of DS like this, one photo in literally thousands. Another photo taken in the same lighting at the same time of someone elses child shows the same thing, so I am inclined to think its the camera & the lighting. Wait there was one photo taken at 3 months old where one eye was "whiter" than the other, but it still has a red tone to it and in the very next photo (the shutter was held down so the photos are literally a second a part) its a normal red-eye.

I think to test, its best to do it in a darker room with them facing away from any light source (I think I remember reading it on the Retinoblastoma website). I assume it opens the pupil up more? I'm a bit on the paranoid side so have done a ton of photos of DS.... and will again tomorrow no doubt :/

OP, sending my thoughts to your gorgeous boy and your family :hug:

A work friend of mine has a daughter with the same thing, I think she's about 11mo now and they only found it by chance because my friend kept pushing for a specialist appt for her daughters blocked year ducts. She's been back through every photo since her dd was born to see if there was something she missed and she said that there are no photos with a white pupil, so she's very thankful her dd had blocked tear facts because otherwise it may have been left for longer.

I think I remember reading as well that it needs to be a camera camera and not an iPhone camera, because sometimes the iPhone flash makes it go white anyway.

Hope you and you're beautiful boy are doing well.

Can definitely be a case of it meaning nothing. We struggle to get a single photo of him with 2 red eyes so it was a definite symptom for him.

It can also show up white if the eye turns slightly, maybe a lazy eye, a squint or just that one eye moves a little independently.

But hey, it always pays to be over cautious with these things!

Yep treatment is going well thanks. Just had his second lot of chemo, 4 more to go (but who's counting huh?)

:hug: kelsbels - he is adorable! We had the same thing happen to DS and I of course googled and found the same information. We went to the RCH for testing and he said best to test if you do notice it so PZ I would take in the photo and get her checked out if you have noticed something. Glad to hear treatment is going well hun, and sending you loads of love and prayers for the next 4 lots of chemo.

Kelsbels your little man is beautiful.. Thinking of you and hope his next few rounds of chemo go well.. :hug: