Definition

A type of cancer that forms in the retina of the eye, usually affecting young children.

Example

Doctors diagnosed the baby with retinoblastoma after noticing unusual eye movements.

Conversation

Have you heard about retinoblastoma?

Yeah, I read that it's a type of eye cancer in kids.

It's so sad how it mainly affects infants.

I know, early detection is really important for recovery.

Root Explanation

Retinoblastoma is formed from "retina" (from Latin *retina*, meaning net or network, referring to the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) and "blastoma" (from Greek *blastos*, meaning germ or bud, and *oma*, meaning tumor). The word describes a tumor that originates from the developing retinal cells in the eye.

Memory Tip

Think of the 'retina' as the network of light-sensitive cells in the eye, and 'blastoma' as a tumor that comes from these developing cells. This helps you remember that retinoblastoma is a tumor of the retina.

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