03/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/01/2024 04:19
Guilherme Castela, Hospital da Luz Coimbra ophthalmologist, concluded his doctorate degree in Health Sciences, last February 5, at the School of Medicine of Coimbra University. In his thesis - entitled "The efficacy of super selective ophthalmic artery chemotherapy (SOAC) in the treatment of intraocular retinoblastoma" -, Guilherme Castela characterizes the incidence of retinoblastoma in Portugal and analyses the efficacy of the respective first-line treatments.
Although rare, the retinoblastoma is the intraocular tumour most frequent in children. With the strategies of treatment currently available, it is curable if diagnosed in early ages.
The research work of Guilherme Castela was based on cases followed up at the National Centre of Reference in Ocular Oncology, in Coimbra, and was developed in two stages:
Among the main conclusions of the thesis, which earned the unanimous approval of the jury, we highlight the following:
"This was the first demographic, genetic and clinical characterization of the Portuguese population diagnosed with retinoblastoma. The main goal is that this work may contribute to the global knowledge on retinoblastoma, improving the clinical results in these patients, and also allow the definition of a more complete and individualized national strategy", explains Guilherme Castela.
The advisors of this thesis were Miguel Castro Branco (School of Medicine, Coimbra University - FMUC), Zélia Corrêa (Bascon Palmer Eye Institute of Miami, USA), and Joaquim Neto Murta (FMUC).
The doctorate jury included Eunice Carrilho (FMUC), Carlos Marques Neves (School of Medicine, Lisbon University), Manuel Falcão (School of Medicine, Oporto University), Joaquim Neto Murta, Rufino Silva (FMUC) and Rui Proença (FMUC).