 |  | Rudolph's Pediatrics Section 24. Neoplastic Disorders > Part 3. Solid Tumors > Chapter 458. Malignant Liver TumorsGail E. Tomlinson and Howard M. Katzenstein | |
Topics Discussed: beckwith-wiedemann syndrome; carcinoma, hepatocellular; familial adenomatous polyposis; hepatic neoplasm, childhood; hepatoblastoma; hepatocellular carcinoma, childhood; liver cancer, pediatric; liver cirrhosis; malignant neoplasm of liver; medical oncology; pediatric oncology.
Sections: References.
Excerpt:"Liver tumors represent approximately
1% of all childhood cancers. There are approximately 100
to 150 new cases of liver cancer diagnosed in children each year
in the United States.1 Hepatoblastoma is the most common
malignant tumor of the liver and accounts for two thirds of all
liver cancer in children.2 Hepatoblastoma occurs almost
always in the very young child, with a mean age of onset of approximately
18 to 20 months and 95% of cases occurring before 5 years
of age. The incidence of hepatoblastoma has approximately doubled
over the past few decades.3 Hepatoblastoma is considered
an embryonal tumor because histologically, tumor cells resemble
cells seen in the developing liver. Liver tumors in children of all ages most commonly present as
an asymptomatic mass, although occasionally they are identified incidentally
in patients with other symptoms, such as abdominal pain, nausea and
vomiting, fever, and weight loss. Symptoms may sometimes indicate
tumor rupture. The vast majority of children will have no evidence
of underlying liver disease as jaundice, ascites, and abnormal liver function
tests are usually not observed at presentation. Hepatoblastoma should
be considered in patients with predisposing conditions such as a
history of prematurity, hemihypertrophy, Beckwith-Weidemann syndrome,
or a history of familial colon cancer. Hepatocellular carcinoma
most commonly presents in an asymptomatic patient but sometimes
arises in patients with a history of..."
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