The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund Joins the Effort to Treat Retinoblastoma in Pediatric Patients

 

Welcoming life with open eyes, a child’s vision embraces the world’s first beautiful images: loving families, colorful toys, and the warmth of sunlight. But what could be more heartbreaking than having this miraculous gift of sight stolen by the devastating disease of retinoblastoma?

 

To restore hope for young patients and, more importantly, to preserve their sight to see the love around them, since July of this year, The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund has brought new opportunities with the support of leading experts in interventional radiology at FV Hospital.

 

The Danger of the “White Pupil” or “Cat’s Eye Reflex”

 

Retinoblastoma is a rare form of eye cancer that primarily affects children. Early symptoms are difficult to detect, but the most common sign is a white reflection in the eye (leukocoria), often noticeable when light shines into the pupil, creating a white glow instead of the typical red reflex. Recognizing this “cat’s eye reflex” is critical for parents to identify the disease early and seek medical care.

 

In Vietnam, current treatment methods include chemotherapy (to shrink the tumor), radiotherapy (to eliminate residual cancer cells), surgery (in severe cases, enucleation to prevent tumor spread), laser therapy (to destroy small cancer cells), and cryotherapy.

 

A Chance to Regain Sight for Unfortunate Children

 

For over 18 years, The Children of Vietnam Charitable Fund has tirelessly pursued its mission, with countless doctors and leading specialists joining the cause, inspired by the fund’s powerful humanitarian message. “We believe that a healthy newborn is a miracle, but healing a child born with impairments is an even greater miracle. And such miracles can be created by any of us,” said Ms. Le Thi Lan Khanh, Executive Director of the Fund.

 

The fund is now joined by Dr. Huynh Huu Danh, a young and talented interventional radiologist, one of the few in Vietnam skilled in performing vascular interventions for both adults and children. His minimally invasive procedures address aneurysms, vascular malformations, and retinoblastoma, among other conditions.

 

Dr. Danh has introduced intra-arterial chemotherapy to stop tumor growth, shrink its size, and ultimately eradicate it, preserving the children’s vision. The first two cases treated by Dr. Danh’s team have shown promising results, with tumor sizes reduced by 25% to 30% within just two weeks.

 

“The plan is to continue intra-arterial chemotherapy for these two children over the next month. The regimen involves one session per month until no tumor is detectable,” shared Dr. Danh.

 

Read more: https://thanhnien.vn/quy-nang-buoc-tuoi-tho-tham-gia-chua-lanh-benh-nhi-u-nguyen-bao-vong-mac-185241024090716417.htm