Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
A retrospective review of 1,424 cases of retinoblastoma disclosed 34 patients with advanced bilateral retinoblastoma whose sole initial treatment was simultaneous bilateral radiation. All patients had a combination of bilateral group IV or V retinoblastoma. Mean age at diagnosis was 13.1 months. Five-year survival of patients was 88% (28/32). In two (7%) of 28 surviving patients, a second nonocular tumor developed: one inside and one outside the field of radiation. Of the 64 eyes treated, 44 ultimately were enucleated. Of ten eyes requiring a second course of radiation, nine were enucleated. In only one eye was enucleation due to radiation complications. Eleven patients required additional treatment with light coagulation, cryopexy, or cobalt plaques.
Abramson et al. (1981) studied this question.