Reese-Ellsworth Staging System

**Semantic type:** Classification

**Definition:** A staging system for intraocular retinoblastoma that was developed in the 1960s, when children were treated with external beam radiation therapy. This system can help determine the likelihood of preserving the vision while the tumor is being treated. It is divided into 5 stages, and each stage predicts the potential to save the eye with external beam radiation therapy. Today, radiation therapy is reserved as a last resort to save a second eye, when all other treatments have failed. As a result, the Reese-Ellsworth classification is now rarely used.

**Synonyms:** - R-E System - Reese-Ellsworth Classification - Reese-Ellsworth Classification for Intraocular Tumors - Reese-Ellsworth System