Is Cost of Treatment the Main Barrier to Uptake of Retinoblastoma Treatment?
Abstract
Introduction: Retinoblastoma is the commonest intraocular malignancy in childhood.1 It is treatable with survival rates of up to 90% in developed countries.2 Mortality rate is between 39-75% in some African/Asian countries largely due to late detection and insufficient healthcare measures. 3 Low treatment uptake has been reported in Nigeria, 4,5,6 and, high cost of treatment has been considered a significant barrier to treatment. 7,8,9 Other identified barriers to treatment include cost of transportation, inaccessibility to standard health institutions, fear of poor aesthetic outcome, patronage of alternative medicine, and scarcity of skilled human resources.10
Case Report: We report three patients with retinoblastoma whose parents abandoned their healthcare under a free treatment programme. They represent 50% of patients that presented for treatment during the period.
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