Also known as: Pediatric hepatoblastoma, childhood liver cancer.

What is hepatoblastoma?

A hepatoblastoma is a rare tumor (cancerous- spreads) 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), and back pain.

What are hepatoblastoma care options?
Treatments include surgery and one or more types of chemotherapy.

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Reviewed by: Jack Wolfsdorf, MD, FAAP

This page was last updated on: March 20, 2019 04:00 PM