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Abstract
Introduction Retinoblastoma, a rare pediatric ocular cancer, primarily affects young children. Advances in treatment modalities aim to preserve vision while targeting the malignancy. Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) offers a targeted approach that may circumvent the need for enucleation. Despite its efficacy, IAC is associated with complications, including neutropenia which poses an increased risk for infection.
Purpose To examine various treatment parameters influencing post-chemotherapy neutrophil count in patients receiving intra-arterial treatments for retinoblastoma.
Methods In a retrospective cohort analysis of 89 patients undergoing IAC for retinoblastoma, mixed linear model regression was employed to evaluate the impact of treatment modalities and demographic factors on post-treatment neutrophil counts. The analysis incorporated the variables: age, number of IAC agents, IV chemotherapy usage, biologic sex, and chemotherapy dose relative to patient weight, alongside accounting for inter-individual variability in number of intra-arterial treatment sessions with an average of 2 treatment sessions per patient.
Results From the initial cohort, 46 patients with complete post-IAC neutrophil count data were analyzed. Our findings highlighted a slight but statistically significant correlation between age at treatment and neutrophil recovery (p = 0.039), suggesting a slight improvement in neutrophil counts with increasing age. Conversely, other variables, including chemotherapy dose per weight, number of IA agents, biologic sex, and the use of IV chemotherapy, did not demonstrate significant associations with neutrophil counts.
Conclusion This study underscores age at treatment as a minor but significant factor in neutrophil count following intra-arterial chemotherapy for retinoblastoma. The absence of significant findings related to other examined parameters underscores the safety of intra-arterial chemotherapy. These insights contribute to optimizing patient care and mitigating side effects associated with this targeted therapy.
Disclosures J. Remer: None. A. Baker: None. A. Vardapetyan: None. D. Cooke: None. K. Narsinh: None. M. Amans: None. S. Hetts: None.