Sankara Nethralaya on Sunday organised “Kanmanigalin Kangal 2026”, a workshop aimed at raising awareness about retinoblastoma — a treatable eye cancer affecting children — while celebrating childhood cancer survivors.

Retinoblastoma is commonly seen in children below the age of three.

Doctors at the event said one of the earliest methods of detection was photography. In photographs taken using flash, a normal eye usually shows a red reflex at the centre of the pupil, while a white reflex could indicate retinoblastoma and requires immediate medical attention.

The programme featured sessions on early detection, recent advances in treatment, and discussions on complex cases for doctors from various specialties. Doctors from 20 leading hospitals participated in the meeting.

Parents and children took part in expressive art activities. An open-house session enabled interaction between patients, parents, and multidisciplinary medical teams involved in the treatment of retinoblastoma.

Suganeswari Ganesan, vitreoretinal surgeon, ocular oncologist and the organising chairperson of the workshop, said the programme aimed to spread awareness about the early signs of the disease.

The event was inaugurated by Srinivasan, Expert Advisor, National Health Mission, along with Stella Matthew, founder and trustee of Aparna Shyam, and Senthil Kumar, Scientific Officer, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Chairman of Sankara Nethralaya T.S. Surendran; Executive Medical Director Girish Shiva Rao; Director of Vitreoretina Muna Bhende; and Deputy Director Dhanasree Ratra also participated in the workshop.