A Phase III Study of Multimodality Therapy for Extra-ocular Retinoblastoma

Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the eye. Extra-ocular retinoblastoma is a form of this cancer that has spread outside the eye. Most children with extra-ocular retinoblastoma treated in the past with less intensive therapies did not survive. However, the majority of patients treated at Memorial Sloan-Kettering with stronger therapy (very similar to that being assessed in this protocol) have been cured.

The purpose of this Children’s Oncology Group study is to evaluate the effectiveness of intensive therapy using a variety of treatments in children with previously untreated extra-ocular retinoblastoma. Patients will receive a combination of chemotherapy drugs, and some of them will also receive radiation therapy after chemotherapy is completed. High-dose chemotherapy with stem cell support will be used in patients with more advanced disease.