Retinoblastoma Treatment (2 of 2) (AUDIO) Washington University School of Medicine Your browser does not support the audio element. Caption An ophthalmologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is implanting radioactive discs into the eyes of children with a rare cancer in an attempt to save their vision and their eyes. The surgery involves a small disc, or plaque, which stays in the eye for three days before a second operation to remove it. Most kids with the form of cancer called retinoblastoma get chemotherapy, followed by laser and freezing treatments to eliminate the last remnants of tumors. But occasionally tumors don’t respond. Retinoblastoma is extremely rare. In the United States, about 200 children each year are diagnosed with the cancer, and approximately 40 percent develop tumors in both eyes. It’s important to have another option for those kids who don’t do well with chemotherapy because the only other treatment option is complete removal of the eye. Credit Washington University BioMed Radio Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.