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Retinoblastoma patients treated in Sri Lanka from 2014 to 2020: epidemiology, clinical status and correlates of lag time in seeking tertiary care services

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dc.contributor.author Kugalingam, N.
dc.contributor.author De Silva, D.
dc.contributor.author Abeysekera, H.
dc.contributor.author Nanayakkara, S.
dc.contributor.author Tirimanne, S.
dc.contributor.author Chandrasekharan, V.
dc.contributor.author Jayawardana, P.L.
dc.date.accessioned 2024-09-04T07:04:45Z
dc.date.available 2024-09-04T07:04:45Z
dc.date.issued 2024
dc.identifier.citation BMC Ophthalmology. 2024; 24(1): 292. en_US
dc.identifier.issn 1471-2415 (Electronic)
dc.identifier.uri http://repository.kln.ac.lk/handle/123456789/28104
dc.description Indexed in MEDLINE en_US
dc.description.abstract BACKGROUND Retinoblastoma (RB) is a tumour of children < 5 years with a incidence of 1 in 20,000. Around 20 RB cases are diagnosed yearly in Sri Lanka, a lower middle-income country with high literacy levels and healthcare free at point of delivery. Incidence, local and systemic severity and mortality related to RB are reportedly high in low- and middle- income countries in comparison to higher income countries. Aims of this study were to describe demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical characteristics of Sri Lankan RB patients attending the designated RB unit at the Lady Ridgeway Hospital (LRH), Colombo between January 2014 to December 2020, and determine correlates of lag time (LT) for first tertiary care visit after detecting the first symptom/sign.METHODS Two descriptive cross-sectional studies (DCSS) were conducted, one on 171 RB patients with demographic and clinical data collected between 2017 and 2020. In 2021, the second DCSS took place where socioeconomic and further demographic data were collected using telephone interviews, recruiting a subgroup of 90 (53%), consenting and contactable RB patient/ parent pairs. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were applied to determine correlates of LT of > 4 weeks for first tertiary care visit. Results were expressed as odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.RESULTS LRH survey (N = 171): Median age at diagnosis was 15 months (range 1-94 months; IQR: 8-27); 89 (52%) were females. Groups D and E tumours were 25.7% (n = 44) and 62.6% (n = 107) respectively with 121 (71%) enucleations. The number of deaths were 2 (1.2%). Telephone survey (N = 90): Proportion with LT of > 4 weeks for first tertiary care visit was 58% (n = 52). None of the putative risk factors (ethnicity, parental educational level, socioeconomic status, distance from residence to tertiary care unit and receiving financial assistance) were associated with LT in both analyses.CONCLUSION Despite a high proportion with groups D and E tumours and enucleations, mortality rate was low, most likely due to availability of designated tertiary care. No correlates for LT of > 4 weeks for tertiary care presentation were identified. Early RB detection needs rigorous implementation of screening strategies and increased awareness among primary care health workers and parents. en_US
dc.language.iso en en_US
dc.publisher BioMed Central en_US
dc.subject Early screening for RB en_US
dc.subject Lag time for tertiary care en_US
dc.subject Mortality en_US
dc.subject Retinoblastoma en_US
dc.subject Staging en_US
dc.title Retinoblastoma patients treated in Sri Lanka from 2014 to 2020: epidemiology, clinical status and correlates of lag time in seeking tertiary care services en_US
dc.type Article en_US


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