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Retinoblastoma Causes, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Learn about the risk factors for retinoblastoma and if there are things that might help lower risk.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that affects your chance of getting a disease such as cancer. Learn more about the risk factors for retinoblastoma

Prevention

In adults, the risk for many cancers can be reduced by avoiding certain risk factors, such as smoking. But there are no known avoidable risk factors for retinoblastoma. If your child does develop retinoblastoma, it’s important to realize that you or your child did nothing to cause it.

Some gene changes that put a child at high risk of retinoblastoma can be passed on from a parent. Children born to a parent with a history of retinoblastoma should be screened for this cancer starting shortly after birth because early detection of this cancer greatly improves the chance for successful treatment.