Photographs Help Detect Childhood Cancer

OK, I know that's a scary title. And I normally like to be upbeat and positive and keep things on the lighter side. But sometimes you gotta mix a little salt with your sugar I guess, and sometimes it's important to pass along information.

I was re-reading a copy of Professional Photographer magazine today, and found an article I had completely forgotten. It was from January of 2006, and back then I wasn't blogging or didn't have an email newsletter, so I didn't share this information with the masses. As soon as I read it today, I knew this information needed to be shared.

According to the article, photographs can reveal the presence of a form of childhood eye cancer called retinoblastoma. When the flash unit on a camera is too close to the lens, red eye often results. "But with a relatively small group of children, the flash sets off a white-eye reflex, and the pupil of one or both of the subject's eyes appear to bw white in the photograph. The effect may appear over the entire pupil, or show up as white specks."

"White-eye reflex is the primary indicator of retinoblastoma tumors in children. About 350 new cases a year are discovered in the United States, almost all of them in children under age 5."

"If you do detect a white-eye reflex in a photograph of a child, it's imperative to tell the parents something might be amiss, and advise them to see an ophthalmologist-not an optometrist-as soon as possible, with copies of your photographs in hand."

Early detection translates into saved vision and lives. Tell your friends. And pay attention to your snapshots.