Improving Medical Students’ Awareness About Retinoblastoma: A Practical Strategy

Abstract

Background Eye salvage and survival for patients with retinoblastoma (RB) can be improved by enhancement of early diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the impact of modifying the teaching curriculum for medical students about awareness of this condition. Methods Medical students completed a questionnaire about RB, preluded by a photograph of a child with leukocoria. Participants were divided into group A (138 participants) and group B (151 participants) who are medical students who have completed the ophthalmology rotation before and after implementing modifications on teaching curriculum that focuses on the red flags of RB consecutively. Results Most participants considered leukocoria an abnormal sign. Group A had significantly lower knowledge about diagnosis for RB ( P =0.0001). Participants scored higher in group B for the critical questions, such as knowing that RB is a fatal disease ( P =0.041) that needs urgent treatment ( P =0.042). Only three (2%) students adopted the “watch and wait” strategy in group B, compared to 16 (12%) in group A ( P =0.0013). Overall, proficiency score (≥90%) was achieved by 12 (8%) students in group B, but only three (2%) students in group A. Only 41 (27%) students in group B, compared to 90 (65%) students in group A, failed to obtain a sufficiency score (≥70%) in the questionnaire. Conclusion Modifying the teaching curriculum of the ophthalmology rotation with an intensified focus on awareness of the life-threatening condition retinoblastoma improved medical students’ knowledge of this malignancy. This intervention is one of the modalities that can lead to a reduction in diagnosis and referral delays and improvement in outcome and survival.

Strategies to improve diagnosis and access to treatment of retinoblastoma in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review

“…Thirty-two reports were selected after title/abstract screening and assessment for eligibility, and 21 studies included (Figure 1). Publications were further classified into five categories: surveillance strategies, [17][18][19][20][21][22][23] genetic counseling, 9,13,24 education, [25][26][27][28] public assistance, 29 and international partnership. 8,[14][15][16]30,31…”

Actualización sobre retinoblastoma: tumor ocular en edad pediátrica

“…UU. es de un 3-5% (5,6); esto se puede deber a un retraso en el diagnóstico y falta de acceso al tratamiento (3,5,7). La mayoría son de tipo no hereditario (75%), donde un 80% de estos son unilaterales debido a mutaciones, el otro 25% son de origen hereditario asociados a mutaciones de la línea germinal; de estos, un 80% son bilaterales, un 15% son unilaterales y un 5% son trilaterales (asocian un tumor neuroectodérmico, principalmente de glándula pineal) (1,4,8,9).…”

“…Entre los principales factores que llevan a metástasis están: enfermedad avanzada con invasión coroidea de más de 3 mm, compromiso del nervio óptico más allá de la lámina cribosa, y compromiso escleral u orbitario (11). Estas complicaciones aumentan con el retraso del diagnóstico y del tratamiento, el se puede deber a la falta de acceso a servicios de atención médica adecuados, condiciones socioeconómicas deficientes (7), falta de conocimiento por parte de la población o trabajadores de salud (3,14), o más recientemente a la pandemia COVID-19, debido a la falta de personal, lugar o equipo médico por las restricciones dadas durante los últimos 2 años (15).…”

“…Código médico: MED17714. Correo: tatiana_recinos1897@gmail.com 3 Médica general, graduada de la Universidad de Ciencias Médicas (UCIMED). Código médico: MED17621.…”

Efficacy of ophthalmological curriculum in Kafrelsheikh University: awareness of retinoblastoma among medical students and fresh graduates

“…Yousef YA et al 2019) Also,Elfalah et al 2022 assessed the awareness of RB in two groups of 6th year medical students, one of them (group B) had completed a modi ed ophthalmology course that focused on red ags of RB. Leukocoria was recognized as an abnormal nding by 96% in group A, and by 99% in group B.…”