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A Brief History of the Retinoblastoma Research Symposium

Author: Roxanne Noronha

The Retinoblastoma Research Symposium hosted by the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) brings together retinoblastoma patients, survivors, families, healthcare professionals, and researchers to drive meaningful, co-directed retinoblastoma research that is relevant to patients and improves outcomes. 

CRRAB was founded in response to the need for inclusive, high-quality, and translatable retinoblastoma research and embodies the Canadian Retinoblastoma Patient Engagement Strategy to: 

• Share research results with people affected by retinoblastoma (e.g., survivor, the immediate family of someone diagnosed with retinoblastoma etc.); 
• Include a large diverse group of people affected by retinoblastoma in research; and 
• Promote research that is created and led by people affected by retinoblastoma. 

Following its creation, the first CRRAB Annual General Meeting was held in December 2016. This meeting gathered stakeholders of the retinoblastoma research community to develop CRRAB’s purpose, goals, and governance structure.  

While engaging with the Canadian retinoblastoma community in the following year, we encountered an unmet need experienced by many families affected by retinoblastoma: connection to others in the community. In order to meet this, CRRAB hosted a Retinoblastoma Research Symposium in December 2017 to occur alongside the second CRRAB Annual General Meeting. The weekend-long Symposium also included a Family Gathering to provide an avenue for families to meet each other and meet clinicians and researchers; a Marketplace to showcase the services and programs available to those affected by retinoblastoma; a research workshop to build skills and make progress towards developing co-directed research studies; and a Child Life directed children’s program that allowed even the littlest community members a chance to connect.  

The success of the 2017 Retinoblastoma Research Symposium encouraged CRRAB to continue to hold the event. The 2019 and 2020 Symposiums drew greater attendance and connected a larger Canadian retinoblastoma research community.  

First CRRAB Annual General Meeting, December 3, 2016 

2017 Retinoblastoma Research Symposium, December 9 & 10, 2017 

2019 Retinoblastoma Research Symposium, January 26 & 27, 2019 

2020 Retinoblastoma Research Symposium, January 25 & 26, 2020 

Opportunities to be Involved

Please see below a list of current opportunities to get involved with the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB). These opportunities are available to survivors, parents/guardians, siblings, healthcare professionals, and researchers. 

Social Media Team 

Join our existing group of volunteers and help us develop new content for our social media platforms! Volunteer two hours per month to create graphics and captions for the CRRAB Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram pages. 

French Translation 

CRRAB aims to better engage with the French-speaking retinoblastoma community in Canada. Please help us recruit these individuals by translating current CRRAB content and creating new material in French. Examples of materials include social media posts and blog posts. 

Article Summaries 

Write a plain language summary of a retinoblastoma research article. Patients together with healthcare professionals or researchers write a short summary of a recent scientific article and provide personal comments or critiques.  

Regional Working Groups 

The CRRAB regional working groups engage with the broader retinoblastoma community in order to recruit patients for the Retinoblastoma Research Registry as well as health professionals, researchers, and patients for CRRAB. 

RB Research Champions 

Act as a volunteer ambassador of CRRAB to promote patient engagement in research to patients, healthcare professionals, and researchers by sharing your story and participating in community outreach.  

For further information on these opportunities please email retinoblastoma.research@sickkids.ca. 

Récit de Patient: Taline Dorna

Author: Ivana Ristevski

Translated by: Maryse Patenaude

For English version click here.

En plus d’être professeure, mère de trois enfants, épouse et aspirante écrivaine, Taline parvient à trouver du temps pour participer aux activités du CCCRR pour en apprendre plus, rencontrer d’autres familles, se tenir au courant des nouvelles recherches et faire une différence au sujet du rétinoblastome.

Le parcours de Taline à débuté lorsque son fils fut diagnostiqué avec un rétinoblastome unilatéral à 5 mois.

« Pendant environ 2 mois, mon époux et moi-même avions noté que notre fils avait un reflet inhabituel dans son œil gauche. Nous remarquions ce reflet surtout lorsque nous utilisions le flash de l’appareil photo de nos téléphones. Nous croyions au début que cela était dû à un mauvais éclairage ou au flash de l’appareil. Après un certain temps, nous avons remarqué que le reflet était aussi présent à la pénombre, en fonction de l’angle de la lumière. Puisque nous commencions à être inquiets, nous avons consulté son pédiatre, qui était elle-même perplexe puisqu’elle n’avait jamais vu cela ».

Ils ont par la suite consulté un ophtalmologiste qui les a référé immédiatement au SickKids, où ils ont pu obtenir un diagnostic et procéder aux traitements.

La participation de Taline et sa famille au CCCRR remonte à 2018, où, en participant à leur premier symposium, ils ont apprécié d’être impliqués dans des discussions sur des projets de recherches et dans la création de matériel pour augmenter la sensibilisation au Top 10 des Priorités en Recherche sur le Rétinoblastome. Les enfants ont particulièrement aimé leur participation au Child Life Program.  

En 2020, Taline a assisté à son deuxième symposium de Recherches sur le Rétinoblastome et participé à un atelier sur le design de vignettes visant à être employées pour le projet Retinoblastoma Journey Map, qui sera utilisé pour identifier les étapes de soins pour les familles ayant un enfant nouvellement diagnostiqué avec le rétinoblastome.

« En temps qu’enseignante, j’ai pu utiliser mes compétences et les appliquer dans un domaine qui sera une partie intégrante de la vie des patients et survivants du rétinoblastome ».

La collaboration à la recherche peut prendre de nombreuses formes  et le CCCRR contribue à faciliter cela en offrant plusieurs façons de s’impliquer, telles que la participation au Symposium annuel de Recherche sur le Rétinoblastome, le partage d’informations sur des occasions de participer à la recherche par le biais du registre RB ou en offrant des plateformes pour l’engagement, qui comprennent entre autres les appels mensuels du groupe de travail régional et les partenariats de projets spécifiques de patients.

« En étant impliqué dans le CCCRR, j’ai pu acquérir une meilleure compréhension sur le cancer dont a été atteint mon fils et utiliser mes compétences pour augmenter la sensibilisation au rétinoblastome ».

« Je suis présentement en voie de publier mon premier livre pour enfants au sujet d’un garçon atteint de rétinoblastome, qui perd son œil ordinaire et obtient un œil extraordinaire! Je voulais faire quelque chose pour honorer le nom de mon fils et aider les autres enfants atteints de RB à se sentir bien dans leur peau ».

Si vous souhaitez rester informé sur la recherche et les événements sur le rétinoblastome, inscrivez-vous au registre du rétinoblastome.

Si vous êtes intéressé à participer à l’une des activités du CCCRR, envoyez-nous un courriel à: retinoblastoma.research@sickkids.ca

Patient Story: Attending One Retinoblastoma World 2020

Author: Jay Kiew

Despite being a 30-year-old bilateral RB survivor, I’ve lived most of my life without visibility (hah) to any RB research or support communities. Taking ownership for that, I’ve mostly lived my life by charging ahead and not thinking too much about my relationship to RB. 

A few months ago, during my annual ophthalmologist check-up, Dr. Katherine Paton walks in and immediately says “Jay, if you’re free this weekend, you should check out this conference called One RB World.” 

It was quite the eye-opener (hah again) in terms of realizing how much support there was here in Canada, both in terms of available information, latest progressions in research and honestly, just an astounding number of people who were related to RB across research, survivorship, or family. Before this conference, I had literally zero connections to RB – and now I feel like I have the opportunity to reconnect to my cancer roots as I reflect on how it’s shaping my life now. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join this community!

SIOP 2020

Author: Kaitlyn Flegg

The International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) was developed in 1969 and is the only global multidisciplinary society devoted entirely to paediatric and adolescent cancers. SIOP’s vision is that no child should die of cancer. The annual SIOP Congress is the world’s largest annual paediatric oncology meeting, gathering thousands of medical professionals and patient advocates from every corner of the globe to share and build knowledge for children with cancer. Historically, One Retinoblastoma World conferences have been coordinated in the same location as, and directly prior to, the SIOP Congress.

A virtual SIOP Congress took place October 14-17. Here we described projects being led by the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) to address Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Priorities #3 and #9. Additionally, Dr. Helen Dimaras (founder of CRRAB), shared results from a project that developed a patient education booklet about retinoblastoma genetics for Kenyan families.

Why Should I Participate in Research?

Author: Ivana Ristevski

If you have seen any of our social media posts asking you to participate in research you might be wondering “why do they want to hear from me?”. That is a really good question! Before I participated in my first research project, determining the Top 10 Retinoblastoma Research Priorities, I thought that the researchers and clinicians were the experts and I didn’t have anything more to offer. However, during the in person workshop where we were ranking the priorities, we were discussing which priorities were important and I saw that all the groups shared their thoughts and in turn listened attentively to the others as we discussed which priorities are important to us and why.

One of the examples from this experience where the voice of survivors made an impact to research was when a few survivors passionately persuaded the group that research on vision loss is very important to survivors and should be studied. They made sure this priority made it on the list.

If it wasn’t for the passion of parents and survivors sharing our stories and persuading the researchers and clinicians that the priorities we were passionate about need to be in the Top 10, the list would have looked a little different, not because researchers and clinicians do not find our priorities important but because they don’t have the lived experience and are sometimes not aware of the problems we faced and continue to face which we would like addressed by research. By including our voices we were able to enrich this experience and collaborate together and decide on a list of Top 10 that are important to all who are impacted by retinoblastoma, personally and professionally.

This was just one example of the impact of having your voice heard in research. I have encountered similar instances in other projects I have been involved in where the voices of parents and survivors help shape aspects of the research process to make it better. Below is an image of the research process and the steps required to execute a research study.

Your input, guided by your lived experience and personal skills, can help guide retinoblastoma research in any step of the research process but it can also enrich your life in the following ways:

If you are interested in getting involved, I invite you to sign up to the Retinoblastoma Research Registry where you will receive a quarterly newsletter letting you know about news and event and inform you of research opportunities. You can click the Join the RB Registry button on the ribbon at the top of this web page or click here.

One Retinoblastoma World Registration is Open

One Retinoblastoma World (1RBW) is a conference that gathers together eye and cancer specialists, researchers, parent and survivor advocates from around the world to pursue best possible care for all affected children and survivors. 

This year the conference will be held virtually and occurs as two part-days on October 3 & 4, 2020.

Conference programming will cover a wide variety of retinoblastoma topics suggested by the retinoblastoma community. The conference will include a combination of presentations, panel discussions, and networking sessions. 

Each day of the conference will also feature a virtual child life activity, specifically developed for children with lived experience of retinoblastoma and designed to promote effective coping through play, education, and creative self-expression. 

Conference registration is now open!

Make sure to register before September 1, 2020 to receive a physical conference delegate package in the mail!

A Brief History of the One Retinoblastoma World Conference

Author: Kaitlyn Flegg

The One Retinoblastoma World Conference hosts eye and cancer specialists, researchers, parents and survivors from around the world to pursue the best possible care for all affected by retinoblastoma. Collaborative research, clinical care, and family support benefitting the majority of children and survivors can only be developed through these inclusive meetings with a real-world focus. 

Since 2012, this conference has continued to encourage collaboration and networking while focusing on understanding the needs of the patient and family. 

Previous in-person One Retinoblastoma World conferences have been coordinated in the same location as, and directly prior to, the World Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). The SIOP Congress is the world’s largest annual paediatric oncology meeting, gathering thousands of medical professionals and parent/survivor advocates from every corner of the globe to share and build knowledge for children with cancer.  

One Retinoblastoma World meetings are hosted by institutions and organizations local to the country holding the SIOP meeting. The meetings often include a family day and a Child Life Programming. A tiered registration fee structure is offered with lower fees for survivors, families and those from low- and middle-income countries to enable inclusive participation and collaboration. 

Four One Retinoblastoma World Conferences have occurred to date: 

October 2-3, 2012: London, England, hosted by World Eye Cancer Hope UK

October 26-28, 2014: Toronto, Canada hosted by The Hospital for Sick Children, Retinoblastoma Program

October 17-18, 2015: Dublin, Ireland, hosted by the Retinoblastoma Programs of Ireland and The Hospital for Sick Children

A detailed summary of the 2016 One Retinoblastoma World Meeting is available here and here. 

October 9-11, 2017: Washington D.C., USA hosted by World Eye Cancer Hope USA 

A summary report from the 2017 One Retinoblastoma World Meeting is available here. Additional content, including videos of the panel sessions, is available here. 

Patient Story: Taline Dorna

Author: Ivana Ristevski

Taline Dorna has been a member of the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) since 2017 and along with her family she has participated in many different CRRAB activities. As a teacher, mom of 3, wife, and an aspiring author, Taline works around her schedule to participate in CRRAB activities in order to learn more about retinoblastoma, meet other families, keep up to date on research and to make a difference.

Taline’s journey started when her son was diagnosed with unilateral retinoblastoma at 5 months old.

For a couple of months, my husband and I had noticed that our son had an odd glow in his left eye. We mostly saw this glow when we took a picture of our son using the flash on our phone cameras. We dismissed it thinking it was likely the flash or bad lighting. After some time, we noticed the glow under dim lighting, depending on the angle the light was hitting his eye. This became concerning, and so we decided to take him to our pediatrician for a checkup. Our pediatrician had never seen anything like this before and was perplexed herself.

They saw an ophthalmologist and were immediately sent to SickKids where they received the diagnosis and treatment.

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Taline and her family started participating in CRRAB by attended their first symposium in 2018 where they participated in discussions to shape research projects and created dissemination materials to raise awareness of the Top 10 Retinoblastoma Research Priorities. The kids attended the Child Life program where they enjoyed doing medical play.
In 2020 Taline attended her second Retinoblastoma Research Symposium and participated in a research workshop to provide input on the design of the stickers to be used on the Retinoblastoma Journey Map, a project which will be tested for its use in providing a pathway of care for families of a child newly diagnosed with retinoblastoma.

As an educator, I was able to contribute my expertise and skills and apply it to something that will be an instrumental piece in the lives of other RB patients and survivors.

Participating in research can take many different forms and CRRAB helps to facilitate this by offering different ways to be involved such as:

• hosting the annual Retinoblastoma Research Symposium
• sharing opportunities to participate in research through the Retinoblastoma Research Registry by bringing forth vetted research studies
• offering platforms for engagement which include the monthly Regional Working Group calls and project specific patient partnerships

By being involved with CRRAB, I feel I’m able to gain a better understanding of the cancer my son had and what I can do to apply my skills to help raise awareness.”

“I’m currently in the midst of publishing my first children’s book that talks about a boy with RB that loses his ordinary eye and get’s an extraordinary eye! I wanted to do something to honour my sons name and help other children with RB feel good about themselves while raising awareness.

If you are interested in staying up to date on retinoblastoma research and events, sign up to the Retinoblastoma Research Registry.
If you are interested in participating in any of the CRRAB activities, send us an email at: retinoblastoma.research@sickkids.ca

Researcher Story: Why I’m Involved in CRRAB

Author: Dr. Sandra Staffieri, BAppSc(orth), PhD

I am an orthoptist by training, so my expertise lies in vision and eye problems, particularly in children. I have worked in the eye department at the largest paediatric hospital in Melbourne, the Royal Children’s Hospital, for 35 years. 26 years ago, I was asked to help coordinate the care of children diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Little did I know this would become a lifelong passion of mine.  As a Retinoblastoma Care Coordinator I have the privilege to walk alongside newly diagnosed families from diagnosis, through treatment to maintenance – and watch the children grow up and do amazing things – just like anybody else. I have been doing this for so long, I am now looking after the next generation – and that has been rather special.

All aspects of retinoblastoma are important. Genetic testing, the impact diagnosis and treatment has on emotional well-being on the whole family unit, survivorship, surveillance, and screening. That said, I have a particular interest in delayed diagnosis of retinoblastoma and raising awareness of the early signs of the disease. This brought me to completing my PhD in this area.

My research involved developing and evaluating an information pamphlet for parents to recognize the early signs of retinoblastoma – turned eyes (strabismus) and white pupils (leukocoria). Because of my background in children’s eye problems, I acknowledged that strabismus and leukocoria can mean lots of different problems – not just retinoblastoma. Armed with this understanding, I successfully advocated to our health department to include this information for parents as it was more than just the small number of children with retinoblastoma I was looking to diagnose early; it was all children with any eye problem that presented in the same way. Other diseases that present with these signs are often not as serious as retinoblastoma, but like retinoblastoma, early diagnosis means early treatment and better outcome.

I have been a member of the Canadian Retinoblastoma Research Advisory Board (CRRAB) since 2017, but have known many of the Canadian retinoblastoma specialists for almost a decade.

I am very excited to be a member of the Research Development Working Group – Research Priority #1 “How to increase early diagnosis of retinoblastoma”. Due to my background in research, developing health information, childhood eye problems, and retinoblastoma; I am the research lead for a specific project that we hope will lead to earlier diagnosis. Together with other researchers, parents, and survivors interested in this topic we are trying to understand the process parents go through to achieve a retinoblastoma diagnosis in their child. When we identify the “barriers” (what caused delay) and the “enablers” (what worked well) for parents whose children have been diagnosed with retinoblastoma, only then can we see what worked and what didn’t – and then we can develop an action plan for improvement.

I look forward to completing this study and making a difference, where a difference can be made.