Hepatic Medicine: Evidence and Research (Feb 2017)
Unresectable hepatoblastoma: current perspectives
Abstract
Angela D Trobaugh-Lotrario,1 Rebecka L Meyers,2 Allison F O’Neill,3 James H Feusner4 1Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Spokane, WA, 2Primary Children’s Hospital, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, 3Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University, Boston, MA, 4Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland, Oakland, CA, USA Abstract: Although rare, hepatoblastoma is the most common pediatric liver tumor. Complete resection is a critical component for cure; however, most patients will have tumors that are not resected at diagnosis. For these patients, administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy renders tumors resectable in most patients. For patients whose tumors remain unresectable after chemotherapy, liver transplantation is indicated (in the absence of active unresectable metastatic disease). In patients whose tumors remain unresectable after conventional chemotherapy, interventional techniques may serve as a promising option to reduce tumor size, decrease systemic toxicity, decrease need for liver transplantation, and increase feasibility of tumor resection. Keywords: hepatoblastoma, unresectable, pediatric
