‘Retinoblastoma is curable if detected early’

Visakhapatnam: Retinoblastoma is the most common disease that affects children below three years of age. While 20-25 per cent worldwide are children from India suffering from it, 50 per cent of the cases worldwide lose their lives due to late detection and inadequate treatment.

Highlighting these and emphasising that retinoblastoma is curable if detected early, ‘Whitathon’ was organised in three different categories in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.

Dividing the run into three segments, including 3-km, 5-km and 10-km, LV Prasad Eye Institute organised its third edition of the ‘Whitathon’ in the city.

Over 350 runners participated in the run that began at Kali Matha temple at RK Beach.

Dr Virender Sachdeva, Head of the LVPEI Visakhapatnam, said it was crucial for parents, caregivers and the community to be aware of the common symptoms of eye cancer among children and seek timely medical intervention.