The Turkish Journal of Pediatrics
2014 , Vol 56 , Num 1
Primary liver tumors in children: Hacettepe experience
Divisions of 1Pediatric Oncology, and 3Pediatric Pathology, Department of Pediatrics and 2Department of Pediatric Surgery,
Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey. E-mail: tezerkutluk@gmail.com
We aimed to review our experience with the clinical characteristics and
outcome in childhood liver tumors. We investigated the clinical, laboratory
and pathological characteristics, treatments and outcome in hepatoblastomas
(HBL) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). We identified 91 HBL and 42
HCC cases. Distant metastases were detected in 16% of HBLs and 22% of
HCCs. PRETEXT stages were I/II in 34% and III/IV in 66% of HBLs and
I/II in 16% and III/IV in 84% of HCCs. Most cases received cisplatin +
doxorubicin chemotherapy. At a median of 58 months, 90 cases had died,
28 were alive, and 15 were lost to follow-up. Five-year survival rates were
32.4% for all HBLs and 15.6% for HCCs. Five-year survival rates were 47% in
HBLs and 22.8% in HCCs diagnosed after 1990. In HBLs, distant metastases
and absence of chemotherapy response indicated poor prognosis. Prognosis
for childhood liver tumors has improved over the last two decades with
preoperative chemotherapy with cisplatin + doxorubicin. Surgical resectability
is important for cure. For HCC, more effective chemotherapy approaches are
essential.
Keywords :
primary liver tumors, hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, children,
chemotherapy.