New Hope for those with Radiation Retinopathy

A U.S. study says that the drug Avastin may help those with radiation retinopathy to keep their eyesight longer.

The two year study, which was published in the journal Archives of Opthalmology, found that Avastin reduces abnormal blood vessel growth and stops leakage in the eye. This allows patients who were previously thought to be destined to blindness within 5 years keep their sight longer. Twenty-eight patients have been successfully treated with Avastin.

Dr. Paul T. Finger, director of Ocular Tumor Services at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, was the lead author of the study. Dr. Finger stats that before the Avastin findings, there was not an effective treatment for radiation retinopathy.