RB基因与其蛋白表达物的失活会导致细胞分裂不受控制地、非正常地增长而发生永生化(immortalization),最终引发肿瘤。这种基因失活可能是因为其缺失、突变或者不表达。对于家族遗传性患者,其出生前生殖细胞中RB基因已经发生过一次突变,在还有一个正常的等位基因没有发生突变的情况下,该等位基因通常会由于偶然的原因失活而不被表达,发生杂合性丢失(LOH, Lost of Zygosity)进而引发癌症。而对于非家族性遗传患者而言,需要发生两次突变才会发病,这种几率相对较低。其它的突变类型包括:无功能突变(Null allele)、启动子突变等。
^ Leal-Leal C, Flores-Rojo M, Medina-Sansón A, Cerecedo-Díaz F, Sánchez-Félix S, González-Ramella O, Pérez-Pérez F, Gómez-Martínez R, Quero-Hernández A, Altamirano-Alvarez E, Alejo-González F, Figueroa-Carbajal J, Ellis-Irigoyen A, Tejocote-Romero I, Cervantes-Paz R, Pantoja-Guillén F, Vega-Vega L, Carrete-Ramírez F. A multicentre report from the Mexican Retinoblastoma Group. Br J Ophthalmol. 2004: 1074–1077. PMID 15258028.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Bishop, JO, Madsen, EC. Retinoblastoma: a review of current status. Surv Ophthalmol. 1975, 19: 342–366. PMID 1145423.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Falls, HF, Neel, JV. Genetics of retinoblastoma. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1951, 4 (46): 367–389. PMID 14868057.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Mork, T. Malignant neoplasms of the eye in Norway. Incidence, treatment and prognosis. Acta Ophthalmol (Kopenhaga). 1961: 824–831. PMID 14476168.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Schappert-Kimmijser, J. Retinoblastoma problems in the Netherlands. Ophthalmologica. 1971, 1 (163): 12–14. PMID 5131968.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Barry, G, Mullaney, J. Retinoblastoma in the Republic of Ireland (1955-70). Trans Ophthalmol Soc U K. 1971: 839–55. PMID 5291569.使用|accessdate=需要含有|url= (帮助)
^Kumar V, Abbas AK, Fausto N. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. Seventh Edition. Philadelphia: Elsevier Saunders, 2005, p. 1442.
^Schüler A, Weber S, Neuhäuser M,; et al. Age at diagnosis of isolated unilateral retinoblastoma does not distinguish patients with and without a constitutional RB1 gene mutation but is influenced by a parent-of-origin effect. Eur J Cancer. March 2005, 41 (5): 735–40. PMID 15763650. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2004.12.022. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^Rushlow D, Piovesan B, Zhang K; et al. Detection of mosaic RB1 mutations in families with retinoblastoma. Hum Mutat. May 2009, 30 (5): 842–51. PMID 19280657. doi:10.1002/humu.20940. 引文格式1维护:显式使用等标签 (link)
^Melamud A, Palekar R, Singh A. Retinoblastoma. Am Fam Physician. March 2006, 73 (6): 1039–44 [2012-06-10]. PMID 16570739. (原始内容存档于2008-10-13).
^Sovinz P, Urban C, Lackner H, Benesch M, Langmann G. Retinoblastoma: a proposal for a multimodal treatment concept for intraocular retinoblastoma in Austria. Wien. Klin. Wochenschr. February 2006, 118 (1–2): 22–30. PMID 16489522. doi:10.1007/s00508-005-0503-z.