Liver Cancers in Children

Liver Cancers in Children
By Dr. Manju S.

The liver is a large, very important organ situated in the right upper quadrant of abdomen. The normal functions of the liver in the body are:

• To help store nutrients from food
• To break down and remove harmful chemicals from the body
• To build chemicals that the body needs to stay healthy

Hepatoblastoma:The most common type of liver cancer in children is Hepatoblastoma. it occurs most frequently in infants or very young children between 2 months and 2 year.

Symptoms:

- Lump in the abdomen (most common)

- Reduced appetite

- lethargy

- nausia / vomiting

- Pain in abdomen

- Jaundice

Investigations:

The following minima investigations are proposed to diagnose hepatoblastoma

- Tumor markers- serum AFP

- CT scan of abdomen with Ct guided FNAC or Biopsy

- X-ray chest

- Complete blood count

- Biochem profile

Treatment:

Surgery & chemotherapy are two treatment options

Surgery: Liver resection according to the location & extent of the tumor. It will be either

- Rt hepatectomy

- Lt hepatectomy

- Extended Rt or Lt hepatectomy

- Bi or trisegmentectomy

If liver resection is not possible because of multicentric disease then liver transplant is the only treatment of option.

Chemotherapy:

Chemotherapy is given before or after surgery. Surgery is done either as a sandwitch surgery (in between cycles of chemotherapy) or it is done at the start & then chemotherapy is given.

The drugs used are

- Cisplatin

- Doxorubicin

- Vincristine

- 5-Fluorouracil

Other less common malignant liver tumor in children:

Hepatocellular carcinoma.

The author is Pediatric Surgeon and operate plenty of child surgeries every month. Please visit Surgeon's blog on Child Cancer http://cancer-surgery.blogspot.com/. This article can be republished along with the information given above only.

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