retinoblastoma: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
very lowtechnical/medical
Quick answer
What does “retinoblastoma” mean?
A malignant tumour of the retina, occurring in young children.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A malignant tumour of the retina, occurring in young children.
A rare, cancerous tumour that develops in the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye (retina). It is primarily an early childhood cancer and can be hereditary or sporadic.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage or definition. Spelling is identical.
Connotations
Identical connotations of a serious paediatric eye cancer.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both varieties, confined to medical contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “retinoblastoma” in a Sentence
patient with retinoblastomadiagnosis of retinoblastomatreatment for retinoblastomagene for retinoblastomaVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “retinoblastoma” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The retinoblastoma screening programme is for high-risk families.
- They discussed retinoblastoma genetics.
American English
- The retinoblastoma screening program is for high-risk families.
- They discussed retinoblastoma genetics.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in medical and genetics research papers, e.g., 'The RB1 gene mutation is central to retinoblastoma pathogenesis.'
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation. A parent might say, 'My child was diagnosed with eye cancer.'
Technical
The standard term in ophthalmology, paediatric oncology, and genetics.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “retinoblastoma”
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “retinoblastoma”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “retinoblastoma”
- Misspelling as 'retinablastoma' (missing 'o'), 'retinoblastomia', or 'retinoblast'].
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, when detected early, retinoblastoma has a very high cure rate (over 95% in developed countries), often with vision preservation.
It can be. Approximately 40% of cases are hereditary, caused by a germline mutation in the RB1 gene, and are often bilateral. The remaining 60% are sporadic and unilateral.
It is most often diagnosed before the age of 5, with the majority of cases presenting in the first two years of life.
Leukocoria, a white pupillary reflex often seen in photographs ('cat's eye reflex'), is the most common presenting sign.
A malignant tumour of the retina, occurring in young children.
Retinoblastoma is usually technical/medical in register.
Retinoblastoma: in British English it is pronounced /ˌrɛtɪnəʊblæsˈtəʊmə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrɛt̬ənoʊblæsˈtoʊmə/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'RETINA' + 'BLAST' (as in blastoma, a tumour of embryonic tissue) + 'OMA' (tumour). A tumour blasting the retina.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A. The term is a purely technical, non-metaphorical compound.
Practice
Quiz
Retinoblastoma is most accurately described as: