Retinoblastoma risk factors

Overview
Retinoblastoma is a cancer of the retina. Development of this tumor is initiated by mutations that inactivate both copies of the RB1 gene, which codes for the retinoblastoma protein.

Who is at highest risk?
Heredity and age are the risk factors of retinoblastoma.
 * Heredity: Studies show that about 1/3 cases of retinoblastoma are caused by the Rb1 gene mutation. The rest 2/3 cases occur as a result of a random gene mutation.
 * Age: Most children diagnosed with retinoblastoma are younger than 3 years old.