Hepatoblastoma
Also known as: Pediatric hepatoblastoma, childhood liver cancer.
What is hepatoblastoma?
A hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor that grows from the cells of the liver. It’s the most common of liver cancers in childhood, occurring during the first 18 months of life (infants to 5 years of age), in mostly white children, boys, and those born prematurely of low birth weight.
What causes hepatoblastoma?
While the cause is unknown, certain genetic (familial adenomatous polyposis, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome) and other medical conditions can put children at a greater risk of getting hepatoblastoma (e.g. hemihyperplasia, hepatitis B infection, biliary atresia).
What are the signs/symptoms of hepatoblastoma?
Signs and symptoms depend on the size of the tumor and whether or not it has spread. They include:
- a lump in the liver
- a swollen abdomen
- fever
- weight loss
- vomiting
- reduced appetite
- jaundice with yellow skin and eyes
- itchiness and/or pale skin color (anemia)
- back pain
What are hepatoblastoma care options?
Treatments include surgery and one or more types of chemotherapy.
Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP
This page was last updated on: March 31, 2022 03:51 PM