Cancer Seen in Snapshot

(Brisbane, Australia) By chance, a simple snapshot taken at a children's party provided evidence of potentially-deadly cancer in one little girl.

In the picture, Brisbane mom Claire Thompson noticed a white spot in the eye of her three-year-old daughter, Darcy, and consulted a physician.

Ten days later tiny Darcy was receiving chemotherapy for a tumour at the back of her left eye.

She had been diagnosed with retinoblastoma - a cancer of the retina - that, if left untreated, most certainly would cause blindness or death.

Retinoblastoma is a rare malignant cancer that affects one in 20,000 children usually between the ages of six months and five years. It develops in the cells of the retina, the thin nerve tissue that lines the back of the eye and senses light.

Ultimately, Darcy Thompson was found to have the genetic condition in both eyes which are currently undergoing treatment. It appears that both tumors were caught early enough -- thanks to a party snapshot. (more - scroll to news)