Retinoblastoma: Focal Therapy: Laser Treatment and Cryotherapy

In the management of intraocular retinoblastoma, the term “focal therapy” or “consolidation” refers to local treatment modalities such as laser, cryotherapy, and brachytherapy. They can be used as primary treatment for small tumors or in conjunction with intravenous chemotherapy for larger tumors (i.e., chemoreduction followed by consolidation). Focal therapies have the inherent advantage of eradicating focal areas of tumor formation in the retina without any risk of regional or systemic side effects. In this chapter, general guidelines on the use of focal therapies are provided to assist an ophthalmic surgeon who is relatively new to the treatment of retinoblastoma. This chapter might also be of help to those ophthalmologists who would like to compare their current approach with principles and techniques used by other surgeons.