Association between surgical margins and long-term outcome in advanced hepatoblastoma

Digital medicine and minimally invasive surgery in pediatric hepatoblastoma: An update

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common liver malignancy in children, accounting for approximately 60 % of liver tumors in this population. However, the exact cause of HB remains unclear. The combination of surgery and neoadjuvant chemotherapy has significantly improved the overall survival rate of children with HB, increasing it from 40 % in the past to over 70 %. The concept of precise hepatectomy, which aims to achieve the best rehabilitation outcomes with minimal trauma and maximum liver protection, has been widely accepted by hepatobiliary surgeons. This article provides a comprehensive review of the recent advancements in surgical treatment of HB, focusing on digital surgery and minimally invasive techniques.

A Novel Method for Observing Tumor Margin in Hepatoblastoma Based on Microstructure 3D Reconstruction

Objective: We investigated three-dimensional (3 D) reconstruction for the assessment of the tumor margin microstructure of hepatoblastoma (HB). Methods: Eleven surgical resections of childhood hepatoblastomas obtained between September 2018 and December 2019 were formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded, serially sectioned at 4 μm, stained with hematoxylin and eosin (every 19th and 20th section stained with alpha-fetoprotein and glypican 3), and the digital images of all sections were acquired at 100× followed by image registration using the B-spline based method with modified residual complexity. Reconstruction was performed using 3 D Slicer software. Results: The reconstructed orthogonal 3 D images clearly presented the internal microstructure of the tumor margin. The rendered 3 D image could be rotated at any angle. Conclusions: Microstructure 3 D reconstruction is feasible for observing the pathological structure of the HB tumor margin.

Surgical resection of pediatric PRETEXT III and IV hepatoblastoma: A retrospective study investigating the need for preoperative chemotherapy

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzed the feasibility of upfront surgical resection for pediatric PRETEXT III and IV hepatoblastoma (HB).

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for patients with PRETEXT III and IV HB to obtain a chance of curative surgery. However, chemotherapy can cause toxic side effects and adverse outcomes, and the PRETEXT staging system may overstage the patients. Therefore, whether preoperative chemotherapy is necessary for HB patients remains unclear.

METHODS

The clinical data of 37 children who underwent surgical resection for PRETEXT III and IV HB at our hospital were obtained retrospectively. Patients were divided into the neoadjuvant chemotherapy group (NCG; n = 19) and the routine surgery group (RSG; n = 18). Clinicopathologic characteristics, treatment regimens, and outcomes were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The RSG had a lower incidence of portal vein involvement than the NCG (p < 0.002). The estimated 3-year event-free survival rates were similar (RSG: 89 ± 0.7% and NCG: 79 ± 0.9%, p = 0.3923). The RSG underwent fewer courses of chemotherapy than the NCG (five vs. six; p < 0.001). Furthermore, the RSG had lower incidences of febrile neutropenia, myelosuppression, and gastrointestinal reactions (all p < 0.05). The severity of surgery-related complications did not differ significantly.

CONCLUSION

Upfront surgical resection in children with PRETEXT III and IV HB is safe and feasible, and reduces the total number of courses and side effects of chemotherapy. The degree of vascular involvement is the most important consideration when evaluating resectability during diagnosis.

Factors influencing recurrence after complete remission in children with hepatoblastoma: A 14-year retrospective study in China

Objective

After a complete remission to treatment for hepatoblastoma, some children still have recurrence. We identified and explored the factors that influence recurrence after complete remission in a retrospective study.

Methods

Of 197 children with hepatoblastoma, 140 (71.1%) achieved initial complete remission and were enrolled in factor analysis. Variables consisted of age, sex, PRE-Treatment EXTent of tumor (PRETEXT) stage, pathologic type, metastatic disease, serum alpha-fetoprotein level, vascular involvement, and surgical margin status. We employed univariate and multivariate analyses to assess the relationship between each factor and tumor recurrence.

Results

Of 140 children who achieved initial complete remission, 42 (30%) had recurrent hepatoblastoma. The 5-year overall survival rates for the non-recurrence and recurrence group were 99.0% and 78.6%, respectively. The overall 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were 77.8%, 69.8%, and 69.8%, respectively. All recurrences occurred within 2 years from complete remission. The RFS rate was significantly higher in children younger than 3 years and in those with mixed pathological type, PRETEXT II and III, without metastatic disease, without vascular involvement, and microscopic negative margin than in that of children older than 3 years, with epithelial pathological type, PRETEXT IV, metastatic disease, vascular involvement, and macroscopic positive margin (P < 0.001, = 0.020, < 0.001, = 0.004, = 0.002, and < 0.001, respectively). The independent risk factors for recurrence after complete remission were age ≥3 years, PRETEXT IV, and metastatic disease (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Age, PRETEXT stage, metastatic disease, vascular involvement, pathologic type, and surgical margin status might be associated with recurrent hepatoblastoma after complete remission; meanwhile, age ≥3 years, PRETEXT IV, and metastatic disease are independent risk factors of recurrence. Further research is needed on the causes of tumor recurrence, which may improve the long-term outcomes of children with hepatoblastoma.

Surgical Resection of Hepatoblastoma: Factors Affecting Local Recurrence

INTRODUCTION

 This study aimed to investigate potential factors contributing to local recurrence after surgical resection of hepatoblastoma (HB).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 This retrospective study involving all patients with HB who underwent nontransplant surgery at our tertiary center between July 2007 and July 2018. Data were analyzed regarding microscopic surgical resection margin, tumor multifocality and extracapsular tumor extension in correlation with local recurrence. These relations were assessed by logistic regression.

RESULTS

 The study included 133 patients with a median age of 1.3 years (range: 0.5-12.8 years). They were classified into 99 cases (74.44%) standard risk and 34 cases (25.56%) high risk. Delayed surgical resection was adopted in all patients. Follow-up to July 2019 revealed that 23 patients (23/133, 17.3%) developed local recurrence, whereas the remaining 110 were locally disease free. Microscopic positive margin (R1) was detected in 29 patients, 8 of them had local recurrence (p = 0.097). Regarding tumor multifocality, there were 12 patients who had multifocal lesions, 3 of them developed local recurrence (p = 0.459). Forty-four patients had extracapsular tumor extension in their pathological reports, 12 of them had local recurrence (p = 0.032).

CONCLUSION

 Extracapsular tumor extension was a significant prognostic factor of local recurrence after surgical resection of HB. R1 margin does not necessarily require a second resection, and it could achieve accepted results when combined with adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy. However, patients who are not eligible for surgical resection must be transferred for primary transplantation to obtain favorable outcome.

A retrospective study of clinical features and outcome in patients with refractory or recurrent hepatoblastoma: A single institution experience

BACKGROUND

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common childhood primary hepatic malignancy. The overall survival rate in patients with HB has reached more than 80% over the past decades. The poor prognostic and high-risk HB have been defined, but the treatment and cure of refractory or relapsed HB is still an arduous task.

METHODS

The complete records of HB in patients under the age of 18 at the MacKay Memorial Hospital between 1990 and 2019 were examined.

RESULTS

The treatment results for 11 patients with refractory or relapsed HB are presented. The multi-modality treatment records were reviewed and the clinical characteristics associated with poor outcome included multifocal lesions, low α-fetoprotein, great vessel invasion and metastases. Delayed liver tumor surgery was carried out in eight cases. The median duration of follow-up for the 11 patients was 48.6 months (range 1.9 to 316.8 months). The 5-year and 10-year overall survival rate were 62.3% ± 15% (SE) and 49.9% ± 16.4% (SE), respectively. Most treatment-related toxicities were tolerable. The major concern during long term follow-up was irreversible high-frequency hearing loss.

CONCLUSION

Patients with refractory/relapsed HB are still a thorny issue and more research is needed to improve the outcome.

Advances in the conventional clinical treatment for hepatoblastoma and therapeutic innovation

Background

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is a rare malignancy usually occurring in children under 3 years old. With advancements in surgical techniques and molecular biology, new treatments have been developed.

Data resources

The recent literatures on new treatments, molecular mechanisms and clinical trials for HB were searched and reviewed.

Results

Surgical resection remains the main option for treatment of HB. Although complete resection is recommended, a resection with microscopical positive margins (R1) may have similar 5-year overall survival and 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rates after cisplatin chemotherapy and the control of metastasis, as only once described so far. Indocyanine green-guided surgery can help achieve precise resection. Additionally, associating liver partition and portal vein ligation for staged hepatectomy can rapidly increase future liver remnant volume compared with portal vein ligation or embolization. Cisplatin-containing chemotherapies slightly differ among the guidelines from the International Childhood Liver Tumors Strategy Group (SIOPEL), Children’s Oncology Group (COG) and Chinese Anti-Cancer Association Pediatric Committee (CCCG), and the 3-year EFS rate of patients in SIOPEL and CCCG studies was recently shown to be higher than that in COG studies. Liver transplantation is an option for patients with unresectable HB, and successful cases of autologous liver transplantation have been reported. In addition, effective inhibitors of important targets, such as the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitor rapamycin, β-catenin inhibitor celecoxib and EpCAM (epithelial cell adhesion molecule) inhibitor catumaxomab, have been demonstrated to reduce the activity of HB cells and to control metastasis in experimental research and clinical trials.

Conclusion

These advances in surgical and medical treatment provide better outcomes for children with HB, and identifying novel targets may lead to the development of future targeted therapies and immunotherapies.

Experience of treating pediatric hepatoblastoma at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Timely surgical intervention playing a key role

Background

Many studies have demonstrated that outcome in patients with hepatoblastoma is determined by tumor resectability and the presence or absence of metastatic disease.

Purpose

To evaluate and disseminate information on diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of hepatoblastoma patients at a tertiary care hospital in Saudi Arabia.

Patients and methods

Twenty-four pediatric patients with hepatoblastoma were treated at our institution between January 2005 and December 2012. The majority of our patients were stage III and above, while one-third of them presented with metastatic disease. Four (16.7%) had vascular invasion. Two-thirds of our patients (n = 16, 66.7%) had alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level above 100,000 ng/mL. Twenty-one patients underwent surgery; two had upfront surgery before getting any chemotherapy, and 15 had surgery on schedule after pre-operative chemotherapy. Four patients had delayed surgery as the tumor was not resectable and received extra cycles of chemotherapy. Chemotherapy regimens used were based on SIOPEL study protocols until 2011 and Children’s Oncology Group (COG) protocol from 2012 onwards. Relapse, progressive disease, or death from any cause were defined as events.

Results

Five-year overall survival (OS) of the cohort over a median follow-up time of 56.1 months was 70.6% ± 9.4% with seven (29.2%) events of mortality. No significant difference was found for age at diagnosis (less than 2 years vs. more), stage of disease, AFP levels (less than 100,000 vs. more), vascular invasion, or presence of metastatic disease at presentation in terms of OS. However, children receiving upfront or scheduled as-per-protocol surgery fared better than those who had delayed surgery (as the tumor was not resectable and they received extra cycles of chemotherapy) or did not undergo any surgery (P-Value .001).

Conclusion

Favorable survival outcome could be achieved with complete tumor excision and adjuvant chemotherapy. Inability to perform surgical excision was the single most important predictor of mortality in our patients.

Clinical and Pathological Study of Tumor Border Invasion-Is Narrow Resection Margin Acceptable in Hepatoblastoma Surgery?

Aim: We aim to study clinically and pathologically whether narrow resection margin (<1 cm) is acceptable in hepatoblastoma surgery.

Methods: A total of 42 patients who underwent surgery for hepatoblastoma were selected, and these patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they underwent preoperative chemotherapy (CHT). The general characteristics of the patients were summarized, the resection margin distance was recorded, and the event-free survival rates were followed up. Pathologically, H&E staining and immunochemical staining were used to study the invasion distance outside the tumor capsule in the tumor border.

Results: Clinically, the event-free survival rates were not significantly different between the patients with wide resection margin (>1 cm) and narrow resection margin (<1 cm) of the two groups. Pathologically, the tumor of all 42 patients had capsules surrounding the tumor. Of the patients in Group 1 (without preoperative CHT), 9% (2/22) had micrometastatic cancer nests outside the capsule, and the farthest distance from the cancer nests to the capsule was 4.6 mm. Of the patients in Group 2 (with preoperative CHT), 75% (15/20) showed residual cancer nests in the paratumor liver tissue, and the farthest distance was 9.6 mm; three and two cases, respectively, showed extracapsular intravascular microtumorous thrombi.

Conclusion: Clinically and pathologically, narrow resection margin is acceptable in hepatoblastoma surgery.

How Do Synchronous Lung Metastases Influence the Surgical Management of Children with Hepatoblastoma? An Update and Systematic Review of the Literature

Approximately 20% of children with hepatoblastoma (HB) have metastatic disease at diagnosis, most frequently in the lungs. In children with HB, lung metastatic disease is associated with poorer prognosis. Its treatment has been approached with a variety of methods that integrate chemotherapy and surgical resection. The timing and feasibility of complete extirpation of lung metastases, by chemotherapy and/or metastasectomy, is crucial for the surgical treatment of the primary liver tumor, which can vary from major hepatic resections to liver transplantation (LT). In children with unresectable HB, which can be surgically treated only by LT, the persistence of unresectable metastases after neoadjuvant chemotherapy excludes the possibility of recurring to LT with consequent negative impact on patients' outcomes. Due to limited evidence and experience, there is no consensus amongst oncologists and surgeons across institutions regarding the surgical treatment for HB with synchronous metastatic lung disease. This narrative review aimed to update the current management of pulmonary metastasis in children with HB and to define its role in the decision-making strategy for the surgical approach to primary liver tumours.

Extensive Hepatectomy as an Alternative to Liver Transplant in Advanced Hepatoblastoma: A New Protocol Used in a Pediatric Liver Transplantation Center

BACKGROUND

Surgery is a key factor in the treatment of hepatoblastoma, but choosing between an aggressive resection and liver transplant may be an extremely difficult task. The aim of this study was to describe the outcomes of patients with advanced hepatoblastoma: pretreatment extent of disease (PRETEXT)/post-treatment extent of disease (POST-TEXT) III and IV undergoing aggressive resections or living donor liver transplant in cases involving the entire liver. Based on this experience, a new protocol for the treatment of these patients was proposed.

METHODS

A retrospective study included patients with advanced hepatoblastoma (POST-TEXT III and IV) who were referred for a liver transplant from 2010 to 2017.

RESULTS

A total of 24 children were included: 13 (54.2%) were male, with a median age at diagnosis of 42 months (range, 15-120 months), and a history of prematurity was identified in 20.8% of the patients. Ten cases (41.7%) were staged as PRETEXT/POST-TEXT III, and 12 cases (50.0%) were staged as PRETEXT/POST-TEXT IV. Two patients were referred after posthepatectomy recurrence. Five patients underwent a liver transplant, with recurrence and death in 2 patients (40.0%) within a mean period of 6 months. In the extensive hepatectomy group, there was recurrence in 6 patients (31.6%), with disease-free outcomes and overall survival in 63.2% and 94.7% of patients, respectively.

CONCLUSION

In cases of advanced hepatoblastoma, an extensive surgical approach is a valuable option. The fact that the team was fully prepared to proceed with living donor liver transplant allowed the surgeon to be more aggressive and to switch to transplantation when resection was not possible.

Results of surgical resections with positive margins for children with hepatoblastoma: Case series from a single Asian center

The influence of margin status on the survival of patients with hepatoblastoma (HB) remains controversial. Here, we report long-term follow-up outcomes of 26 patients with HB who underwent hepatectomy with positive microscopic margins. Although these patients had microscopic residuals, the 5-year overall survival and event-free survival rates of those who had no metastases or macrovascular involvement (MVI) were 86.7% and 80.8%, respectively. This may support the hypothesis that patients with HB who undergo hepatectomy with positive microscopic residuals but without MVI or metastases can also achieve satisfactory survival rate. Further studies in this field are required.

Avoiding liver transplantation in post-treatment extent of disease III and IV hepatoblastoma

BACKGROUND

Primary liver transplantation is recommended for central post-treatment extent of disease (POST-TEXT) III and IV hepatoblastoma. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess the safety and oncological efficacy of aggressive non-transplant extended hepatic resection in these patients.

METHODS

A prospective study involved 18 children with central pretreatment extent of disease (PRETEXT) III and IV: three had primary liver transplantation whereas 15 underwent hepatic resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

RESULTS

Median tumor volume was 317 mL (range, 135-546 mL). After four cycles of chemotherapy, POST-TEXT stage was III in 12 patients and IV in three patients. There was no perioperative mortality. Postoperative complications consisted of two bile leaks, one temporary decompensation and one sub-phrenic collection requiring drainage. One and 3 year disease-free survival was 93.3% and 73.3% respectively. The 3 year overall survival was 86.6%. Four patients developed recurrence, of whom two died. Early recurrence in 1 year occurred in one patient. All recurrences were distant metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

Extended major hepatic resection for selected cases of POST-TEXT III and IV hepatoblastoma is a technically challenging but feasible approach with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. Oncological outcomes are similar to liver transplantation without the long-term commitment of immunosuppression or donor risk and morbidity, but a potential donor should always be organized on standby.

Histological and immunohistochemical study of hepatoblastoma: correlation with tumour behaviour and survival

Background

Hepatoblastoma (HB) has different histological subtypes, with varying prognosis. Though the survival has drastically improved, subsets of patients are not responsive to therapy. Therefore, it becomes important to determine the factors which affect the behaviour of the tumour. This study was aimed to look at the histopathological subtypes and compare with immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of CK19, beta-catenin and EpCAM and survival.

Methods

This study included 55 cases of HB. IHC expression of CK19, beta-catenin and EpCAM were correlated with histological subtypes, tumour behaviour, response to chemotherapy and survival.

Results

Most common epithelial subtype was fetal (43.2%) and mixed epithelial (54.8%) in pre- and post-chemotherapy groups respectively. Microvascular invasion (MVI) was present in 14/33 resected tumours. CK19 expression was seen in 54.2% and 72.2% of embryonal subtype, nuclear beta-catenin expression in 48.7% and 57.1% and EpCAM in 100% and 82.1% of tumours in pre- and post-chemotherapy groups, respectively. Fetal subtype had a lesser chance of MVI, recurrence, metastasis and death. Beta-catenin expression was associated with lower event free survival (EFS) and EpCAM with ≥50% viable tumour following chemotherapy (P=0.04). Age at diagnosis ≤2 years, male sex, alpha-fetoprotein <10,000 IU/mL following chemotherapy, solitary tumour (P=0.001), size ≤5 cm, pretreatment extent of disease (PRETEXT) I&II, mitosis ≤2/10 high power fields (hpf), viable tumour <50% (P=0.04) and absent nuclear expression of beta-catenin, predicted a higher EFS rate.

Conclusions

Beta-catenin expression is associated with lower EFS and EpCAM expression with tumour viability. Multifocality and viable tumour ≥50% were significant factors predicting lower EFS. These factors should be included in the prognostication of HBs.

Extreme hepatic resections for the treatment of advanced hepatoblastoma: Are planned close margins an acceptable approach?

BACKGROUND

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) is considered the standard for children with hepatoblastoma (HB) in whom complete surgical resection is not possible. However, OLT is not always available or feasible.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the outcome of children with HB who were initially deemed unresectable and underwent complex hepatectomy with planned close margins, and ultimately avoided OLT.

METHODS

Demographic data, surgical and pathologic details, and survival information were collected from children treated for HB between January 2010 to December 2015.

RESULTS

Among six children (median age 12 months (3-41 months)), PRETEXT classification was III (n = 2), III/IV (n = 1), and IV (n = 3). Patients received a median of six cycles (range 4-7) of platinum-based induction chemotherapy; five received doxorubicin. Experienced pediatric surgeons performed extended right and left hepatectomy in five and one patients, respectively, with assistance of an experienced liver transplant surgeon (n = 4). Microscopic margins were positive (n = 2) and negative but close (n = 4; 2-5 mm). Two patients required vascular reconstruction of the vena cava. At median follow-up of 3.3 years (1.7-4.6 years), there was no evidence of local recurrence. One patient had recurrence of pulmonary disease 3 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with advanced HB treated with complex surgical resections with positive or close negative margins had good outcomes without OLT. We suggest that planned positive or close microscopic margins in highly selected HB patients may spare the morbidity of OLT and offer an alternative for those ineligible for OLT. Our experience illustrates the importance of a multidisciplinary team specialized in the management of liver tumors.

Prognostic impact of surgical margin in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Surgical margin is an important prognostic factor in hepatectomy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). But the extent of surgical margins is still controversial. Our study was designed to systematically evaluate the prognosis of different width of resection margin.

METHODS

We conducted comprehensive searches of electronic databases including PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, and the ISI Web of Science for relevant studies. A meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3 software.

RESULTS

A total of 7 studies comprising 1932 patients were included. The patients with wider surgical margin were significantly higher than those with narrow surgical margin on 3-year overall survival (odds ratio [OR]: 1.58, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.21-2.06, P = .0008), 5-year overall survival (OR: 1.76, 95% CI: 1.20-2.59, P = .004), 1-year disease-free survival (DFS)/recurrence-free survival (RFS) (OR: 1.43, 95% CI: 1.12-1.82, P = .005), 3-year DFS/RFS (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.35-2.03, P < .00001), and 5-year DFS/RFS (OR: 1.69, 95% CI: 1.37-2.08, P < .00001). There was no significant difference in the 1-year overall survival rate for the 2 groups (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 0.89-1.72, P = .20).

CONCLUSION

In comparison with the narrow surgical margin group (<1 cm), the wide surgical margin (≥1 cm) can significantly improve the prognosis in patients with HCC.

POST-TEXT III and IV Hepatoblastoma: Extended Hepatic Resection Avoids Liver Transplantation in Selected Cases

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the outcome of hepatoblastoma (HB) patients presenting with post treatment extent of disease (POST-TEXT) stages III and IV after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND

Primary liver transplantation has been advocated as surgical treatment for children with HB involving 3 or 4 sectors at diagnosis. However, in some cases, tumors seem resectable after chemotherapy through aggressive use of nontransplant surgical procedures.

METHODS

Data of 27 HB patients were reviewed, undergoing extended liver resection for POST-TEXT III or IV tumors after chemotherapy between 1992 and 2015. Median follow-up was 58 months (range 9-188).

RESULTS

Median age at surgery was 18.2 months (interquartile range 10.8-32.5). Staging of the children after chemotherapy revealed POST-TEXT III in 21 and POST-TEXT IV in 6 cases. In 2 children, the hepatic resection was performed under cardiopulmonary bypass because of extended vena cava thrombosis; in 2 patients, a simultaneous sternotomy was performed for resection of bilateral lung metastases. The 5-year overall survival rate was 80.7%.

CONCLUSIONS

Aggressive surgical resection is a successful approach in some patients with POST-TEXT III and IV HB who otherwise would be candidates for liver transplantation. These children should undergo central review and should be surgically managed at centers of excellence for pediatric liver surgery. Despite challenging surgical procedures and complex clinical courses, the patients benefit from avoidance of morbidities of organ transplant. However, preparation of backup liver transplantation should be considered in selected cases.

Multidisciplinary effort in treating children with hepatoblastoma in China

The purpose of this study is to report the first nationwide protocol (Wuhan Protocol) developed by Chinese Children's Cancer Group and the results of multidisciplinary effort in treating hepatoblastoma. In this study, we reported the final analysis, which includes 153 hepatoblastoma patients in 13 hospitals from January 2006 to December 2013. The 6-year overall survival and event-free survival rates were 83.3 ± 3.1% and 71.0 ± 3.7%, respectively, in this cohort. The univariate analysis revealed that female (P = 0.027), under 5 years of age (P = 0.039), complete surgical resection (P = 0.000), no metastases (P = 0.000), and delayed surgery following neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = 0.000) had better prognosis. In multivariate analysis, male, 5 years of age or above, stage PRETEXT III or IV, and incomplete surgical resection were among the some adverse factors contributing to poor prognosis. The preliminary results from this study showed that patients who underwent treatment following Wuhan Protocol had similar OS and EFS rates compared to those in developed countries. However, the protocol remains to be further optimized in standardizing surgical resection (including liver transplantation), refining risk stratification and risk-based chemotherapy.

Effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy on resectability of stage III and IV hepatoblastoma

Background

The potential for surgical resection of primary hepatoblastoma tumours was assessed at diagnosis, and after two and four cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods

Available radiographic images for patients with stage III and IV hepatoblastoma diagnosed between 1991 and 2008 were reviewed. The extent of disease was determined at diagnosis using the PRETEXT staging system, and after two and four cycles of therapy by POST-TEXT staging. Tumour resectability based on radiographic studies was assessed independently by two surgeons with expertise in hepatic surgery who were blinded to treatment and clinical outcome.

Results

Radiographic images from 20 patients with hepatoblastoma were reviewed. Six of 20 tumours were downstaged after two cycles, and three additional tumours were downstaged following four cycles. All PRETEXT stage III and IV tumours were determined to be surgically unresectable at diagnosis. The number of tumours considered unresectable decreased from 16 of 20 at diagnosis to seven of 20 after two cycles, and to four of 20 after four cycles. Five of the seven tumours that were unresectable after two cycles, and all four tumours that were unresectable after four cycles would have qualified for liver transplant based on radiographic studies.

Conclusion

The majority of stage III and IV hepatoblastomas achieved radiographic resectability after two cycles of chemotherapy. There may be an opportunity for earlier surgical intervention and potential for a reduction in chemotherapy in a considerable number of patients.

Hepatoblastoma state of the art: pre-treatment extent of disease, surgical resection guidelines and the role of liver transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This is part two of a two-part state of the art--hepatoblastoma. International hepatoblastoma specialists were brought together to highlight advances, controversies, and future challenges in the treatment of this rare pediatric tumor.

RECENT FINDINGS

Pretreatment extent of disease (PRETEXT) is a grouping system introduced as part of the multicenter international childhood liver tumors strategy group, SIOPEL-1, study in 1990. The system has been refined over the ensuing years and has now come to be adopted for risk stratification by all of the major pediatric liver tumor multicenter trial groups. PRETEXT is being intensively studied in the current Children's Oncology Group (COG) AHEP-0731 trial in an attempt to validate interobserver reproducibility and ability to monitor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy, and determine surgical resectability. PRETEXT is now used to identify those patients who are at risk for having an unresectable tumor and who should be referred to a liver specialty center with transplant capability early in their treatment schema.

SUMMARY

International collaborative efforts in hepatoblastoma have led to increased refinements in the use of the PRETEXT and post-treatment extent to define prognosis and surgical resectability. PRETEXT criteria which suggest a possible need for liver transplantation are discussed in detail.

Current therapeutic strategies for childhood hepatic malignant tumors

The two main malignant hepatic tumors in children are hepatoblastomas (HBLs) and hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). The past two decades have brought significant improvement to the outcomes of children diagnosed with malignant hepatic tumors, especially HBL, due to improvements in diagnosis and treatment. Histological diagnosis is essential for differential diagnosis of these tumors. In surgery, liver resection has become a safe and secure technique because of progress in anatomical knowledge and surgical dissection; also liver transplantation has become widely used for unresectable tumors. Moreover, the introduction of effective chemotherapeutic regimens has significantly improved the survival of children with HBL due to an increase in the number of patients ultimately undergoing tumor resection, and a reduction in the incidence of post-surgical recurrence. These improvements are the result of multicenter cooperative trials conducted by the Japanese Study Group for Pediatric Liver Tumor, the Children's Oncology Group, and the International Childhood Liver Tumor Strategy Group, including work of the German Association of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology. This paper summarizes the results of these studies and calls on the current international collaboration study called the Children's Hepatic Tumors International Collaboration Project to establish global clinical research on childhood hepatic malignant tumors.

Isolated caudate lobe (Spiegel lobe) resection for hepatoblastoma. Is it enough to achieve a sufficient resection margin? A case report

BACKGROUND

Hepatoblastoma arising from and limited to the caudate lobe is an extremely rare clinical entity. The object of this case report is to present a case of isolated caudate lobe resection due to hepatoblastoma originating in the caudate lobe.

METHODS

The patient was an 18-month-old male who was admitted with a huge tumor located in the left hepatic lobe. The histological diagnosis was fetal type of hepatoblastoma. The patient received 4 cycles of preoperative and 2 cycles of postoperative chemotherapy.

RESULTS

During surgical exploration, a well-defined, exophytic tumor originating in the caudate lobe was found. Isolated caudate lobe (Spiegel lobe) resection was performed. The intra- and postoperative course was uneventful. Surgical margins were negative for tumor. The patient remains alive with no signs of recurrence 15 months after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Isolated caudate lobe resection is one of the most challenging procedures in liver surgery. Despite the technical difficulties and high complications risk, isolated caudate lobectomy can be performed successfully in children. It needs to be noted that in the reported case, preoperative chemotherapy shrunk the tumor and largely facilitated its resection.

Changing treatment and outcome of children with hepatoblastoma: analysis of a single center experience over the last 20 years

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to analyze changing management and survival of children with hepatoblastoma (HBL) treated in one center.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Over the last 20 years, 51 children with HBL were treated. Surgery was performed in 48 children (94.1%), conventional liver resection in 38 (of those, 2 received a rescue liver transplantation [LTx] for relapse), and total hepatectomy and primary LTx in 10 patients. The remaining 3 patients received only palliative treatment. Patient data were analyzed for survival with respect to PRETreatment EXTent of disease (PRETEXT), metastases, histopathology, conventional resection, and LTx.

RESULTS

Survival of children with HBL treated with liver resection is 71% and 80% for primary LTx. Favorable prognostic factors for patient survival was tumor histology as epithelial-fetal subtype and mixed epithelial and mesenchymal type, without teratoid features, and good response to chemotherapy (necrosis, fibrosis). Unfavorable prognostic factors were small cells undifferentiated, transitional liver cell tumor, α-fetoprotein level above 1,000,000 IU/mL and below 100 IU/mL at diagnosis, lung metastases, and local recurrence after initial resection. Survival was related to PRETEXT stage. However, among patients with PRETEXT III and IV, LTx resulted in better survival.

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation is a good option for children with advanced HBL. Early referral of children with potentially unresectable tumors to centers where combined treatment (chemotherapy, surgery including LTx) is available is crucial.

Primary malignant liver tumors in children

Liver tumors constitute only 1-4% of all solid tumors in children. Two-thirds of these are malignant. The primary malignant tumors are hepatoblastoma (HB), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), angiosarcoma, rhabdoid tumor, undifferentiated sarcoma and other rarer tumors. Of these HB is the commonest. The diagnosis of HB is based on the radiology, elevated levels of α-fetoprotein (αFP) and the histology/cytology. Staging is essential for risk categorization, risk adapted treatment and prognostication. The commonest staging and risk categorization system used today is PRETEXT system that is being used by nearly all multicentre trials (American, European, German, Japanese) in some way. Treatment of HB is multimodal with surgery and chemotherapy being the main modalities. Survival is not possible without complete surgical resection. Majority of tumors are unresectable at presentation but can be made resectable with chemotherapy, giving a resection rate of more than 85%. Cisplatin is the main stay of chemotherapy and is a part of all multidrug protocols. The 3-y overall survival (OS) today stands at 62%-70% but only 25% patients with metastasis get cured. Panhepatic tumors and those with local factors causing unresectability are now dealt with liver transplantation which has also given a survival rate of nearly 85%. The overall management of HB and HCC has evolved over the past 3 decades giving good long term survival rates for HB, though patients with HCC still do poorly. Successive therapeutic trials have focused attention on increasing the efficiency and reducing the toxicity and long term side effects of the treatment. Among the other uncommon tumors the rhabdoid tumor and angiosarcoma are chemoresistant and have a poor outcome while the undifferentiated sarcoma and rhabdomyosarcoma are now showing better response to the currently used chemotherapy combinations.

Successful nontransplant resection of POST-TEXT III and IV hepatoblastoma

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation is increasingly advocated as primary surgical therapy for children with hepatoblastoma involving 3 or 4 sectors of the liver after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This study evaluated the results of nontransplant hepatectomy in children who might otherwise have been considered for liver transplantation.

METHODS

All children who underwent resection at a single institution from 1998 to 2009 for POST-TEXT IV or centrally located POST-TEXT III hepatoblastoma after neoadjuvant chemotherapy were reviewed.

RESULTS

Fourteen children (7 boys) with a median age of 8 months at diagnosis met study criteria. Pulmonary metastases in 3 patients were resected in 2 and resolved with chemotherapy in 1 patient. Preoperative grouping after neoadjuvant chemotherapy was POST-TEXT IV in 3 patients and POST-TEXT III in 11 patients. Thirteen of 14 (93%) children who underwent aggressive resection despite being potential candidates for primary transplantation were alive and tumor-free with a median follow-up of 57 months. Observed survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 93%, 91%, and 88% respectively. Event-free survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 93%, 91%, and 75%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Excellent survival (93%) was obtained with aggressive resection in children with POST-TEXT III and IV hepatoblastoma meeting criteria for transplant referral. The 1 death occurred in a patient with unfavorable small cell histology. These children should be managed at institutions experienced in both advanced pediatric hepatobiliary surgery and transplantation. Operative exploration was frequently required to ultimately determine which tumors can be resected and which require transplantation.

Review of outcomes of primary liver cancers in children: our institutional experience with resection and transplantation

BACKGROUND

Operative intervention plays an important role in the management of primary liver cancers in children. Recent improvements in diagnostic modalities, pre- and postoperative chemotherapy, and operative technique have all led to improved survival in these patients. Both hepatic resection and orthotopic liver transplantation are effective operations for pediatric liver tumors; which intervention is pursued is based on preoperative extent of disease. This is a review of our institution's experience with operative management of pediatric liver cancer over an 18-year period.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review from 1990 to 2007 identified patients who were ≤18 years old who underwent operative intervention for primary liver cancer. Demographics, type of operation, intraoperative details, pre- and postoperative management, as well as outcomes were recorded for all patients.

RESULTS

Fifty-four patients underwent 57 operations for primary liver cancer, 30 of whom underwent resection; the remaining 27 underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. The mean age at diagnosis was 41 months. Twenty patients had stage 1 or 2 disease and 34 patients had stage 3 or 4 disease. Forty-eight (89%) patients received preoperative chemotherapy. Postoperative chemotherapy was given to 92% of patients. Mean overall and intensive care unit duration of stay were 18 and 6 days, respectively. About 45% of patients had a postoperative complication, including hepatic artery thrombosis (n = 8), line sepsis (n = 6), mild acute rejection (n = 3), biliary stricture (n = 2), pneumothorax (n = 2), incarcerated omentum (n = 1), Horner's syndrome (n = 1), and urosepsis (n = 1). Only 6 patients had a recurrence of their cancer, 5 after liver resection, 3 of whom later received a transplant. There was only 1 recurrence after liver transplantation. There was 1 perioperative mortality from cardiac arrest. Overall survival was 93%.

CONCLUSION

Operative intervention plays a critical role in the management of primary liver cancer in the pediatric population. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy can be given if the tumor seems unresectable at diagnosis. If chemotherapy is unable to sufficiently downstage the tumor, orthotopic liver transplantation becomes the patient's best option. Our institution has had considerable experience with both resection and liver transplantation in the treatment of pediatric primary liver cancer, with good long-term outcomes.

Outcome of central hepatectomy for hepatoblastomas

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Central hepatoblastomas (CHBL) involving liver segments (IV + V) or (IV + V + VIII) are in contact with the portal bifurcation. Their resection may be achieved by central hepatectomy (CH) with thin resection margins on both sides of the liver pedicle, by extended right or left hepatectomy with thin resection margins on one side, or by liver transplantation with thick free margins. The aim of this study is to assess the operative and postoperative outcome of CH for hepatoblastoma.

METHODS

This was a retrospective monocentric study of 9 patients who underwent CH for CHBL between 1996 and 2008.

RESULTS

The operative time was 4 hours 50 minutes (2 hours 20 minutes to 7 hours), vascular clamping lasted 30 minutes (0-90 minutes), and the amount of blood cell transfusion was 250 mL (0-1800 mL). Two patients had biliary leakage requiring percutaneous drainage. Median follow-up time was 27 months (14-120 months). All of 8 nonmetastatic patients are alive and disease-free; 1 metastatic patient died of recurrent metastases at last follow-up. Although 3 of 9 patients had surgical margins less than 1 mm, none, including the patients who died from metastases, had local recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates the feasibility of CH for CHBL without operative mortality or local recurrence. Central hepatectomy is an alternative to extensive liver resections in selected patients.

Defining hepatoblastoma responsiveness to induction therapy as measured by tumor volume and serum alpha-fetoprotein kinetics

PURPOSE

Hepatoblastoma is commonly unresectable at presentation, necessitating induction chemotherapy before definitive resection. To refine the paradigm for timing of resection, we questioned whether a plateau in hepatoblastoma responsiveness to neoadjuvant therapy could be detected by calculating tumor volume (TV) and serum alpha-fetoprotein (sAFP) kinetics.

METHODS

To calculate TV and sAFP as measures of treatment responsiveness over time, infants having initially unresectable epithelial-type hepatoblastomas were identified at a single institution (1996-2008). Effects of therapy type, therapy duration, and lobe of liver involvement on TV, sAFP, margin status, and toxicity were analyzed.

RESULTS

Of 24 infants treated for epithelial-type hepatoblastoma during this interval, 5 were resected primarily, and 15 had complete digital films for kinetics analysis. Both TV and sAFP decreased dramatically over time (P < .0001). No statistically significant difference in mean TV or sAFP was detected after chemotherapy cycle 2. Left lobe tumors had greater presenting levels of and significantly slower decay in sAFP compared with right lobe tumors (P = .005), although no statistically significant differences in TV existed between liver lobes. Resection margins did not change with therapy duration.

CONCLUSIONS

Measuring TV and sAFP kinetics accurately reflects hepatoblastoma responsiveness to induction therapy. Treatment toxicities may be reduced by earlier resection and tailoring of chemotherapeutic regimens.

Predictive power of pretreatment prognostic factors in children with hepatoblastoma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

PRETEXT is used to stratify risk in children with hepatoblastoma by the Liver Tumor Strategy Group (SIOPEL) of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP). A recent analysis excluding patients that did not survive neoadjuvant chemotherapy, concluded that PRETEXT was superior to Children's Oncology Group (COG) stage for predicting survival. Puzzled by this result, we made a similar comparison of PRETEXT and COG stage. This time, however, we include all patients, and we compare predictive value at diagnosis, instead of after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

METHODS

Hepatoblastoma patients in INT-0098 were retrospectively reviewed for PRETEXT and other potential prognostic factors including pathologic subtype, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP).

RESULTS

Five-year overall survival by PRETEXT was 88.9%, 84.5%, 71.6%, and 30.9%, for PRETEXT I, II, III, and IV, respectively. The 5-year overall survival rates by COG stage were 100%, 97.5%, 100%, 70.2%, and 39.3% for Stage I pure fetal histology (PFH), Stage I unfavorable histology (UH = not PFH), Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IV, respectively. PRETEXT added significant additional prognostic information within the COG Stage III, but not COG Stage IV. Additional prognostic factors statistically significant for an increased risk of death were small-cell-undifferentiated (SCU) histologic subtype and AFP < 100 at diagnosis.

CONCLUSIONS

PRETEXT, COG stage, SCU histology, and AFP < 100, as assessed at diagnosis, are important determinants of survival that will allow us to better develop common international criteria for risk stratification. Common risk stratification is an essential prerequisite to establish effective cooperation across the ocean in this field of rare tumors.

Surgical treatment of hepatic tumors in children: lessons learned from liver transplantation

PURPOSE

Hepatectomy remains a complex operation even in experienced hands. The objective of the present study was to describe our experience in liver resections, in the light of liver transplantation, emphasizing the indications for surgery, surgical techniques, complications, and results.

METHODS

The medical records of 53 children who underwent liver resection for primary or metastatic hepatic tumors were reviewed. Ultrasonography, computed tomographic (CT) scan, and needle biopsy were the initial methods used to diagnose malignant tumors. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, tumor resectability was evaluated by another CT scan. Surgery was performed by surgeons competent in liver transplantation. As in liver living donor operation, vascular anomalies were investigated. The main arterial anomalies found were the right hepatic artery emerging from the superior mesenteric artery and left hepatic artery from left gastric artery. Hilar structures were dissected very close to liver parenchyma. The hepatic artery and portal vein were dissected and ligated near their entrance to the liver parenchyma to avoid damaging the hilar vessels of the other lobe. During dissection of the suprahepatic veins, the venous infusion was decreased to reduce central venous pressure and potential bleeding from hepatic veins and the vena cava.

RESULTS

Fifty-three children with hepatic tumors underwent surgical treatment, 47 patients underwent liver resections, and in 6 cases, liver transplantation was performed because the tumor was considered unresectable. There were 31 cases of hepatoblastoma, with a 9.6% mortality rate. Ten children presented with other malignant tumors-3 undifferentiated sarcomas, 2 hepatocellular carcinomas, 2 fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinomas, a rhabdomyosarcoma, an immature ovarian teratoma, and a single neuroblastoma. These cases had a 50% mortality rate. Six children had benign tumors-4 mesenchymal hamartoma, 1 focal nodular hyperplasia, and a mucinous cystadenoma. All of these children had a favorable outcome. Hepatic resections included 22 right lobectomies, 9 right trisegmentectomies, 8 left lobectomies, 5 left trisegmentectomies, 2 left segmentectomies, and 1 case of monosegment (segment IV) resection. The overall mortality rate was 14.9%, and all deaths were related to recurrence of malignant disease. The mortality rate of hepatoblastoma patients was less than other malignant tumors (P = .04).

CONCLUSION

The resection of hepatic tumors in children requires expertise in pediatric surgical practice, and many lessons learned from liver transplantation can be applied to hepatectomies. The present series showed no mortality directly related to the surgery and a low complication rate.

Clinical applications of computerized tomography 3-D reconstruction imaging for diagnosis and surgery in children with large liver tumors or tumors at the hepatic hilum

The present study assessed the benefits of 3-D reconstruction of spiral computerized tomography (CT) scans for the diagnosis of and surgical guidance to large liver tumors or tumors at the hepatic hilum. We retrospectively analyzed the cases of 18 children with large liver tumors or with tumors at the hepatic hilum treated in past 5 years. The ages ranged from 45 days to 14 years. Ten cases were examined using the three-dimensional reconstruction using 64 slice spiral CT and eight patients underwent conventional CT or conventional enhanced CT scanning. In 16 cases, the volume of tissue removed exceeded one-third the entire volume of the liver (considered "large" tumors). The largest tumor removed weighed 4.8 kg. In two cases, the excised tissue represented less than one-third of the total liver volume, but in these cases the location of the tumor was considered "complex" due to the proximity to major hepatic vessels. Seven tumors were located in the right lobe, three in the left lateral segment, three in medial segment, three extended beyond the right lobe and two extended beyond the left lateral segment. Pathological diagnoses included hepatoblastoma (n = 9), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 2), mesenchymal hamartoma (n = 4), teratoma (n = 1) and adenoma (n = 2). The 3-D reconstructed images could be rotated to view the image from several sides, were semitransparent and allowed for the measurement of tumor size and determination of spatial relation to blood vessels. All 18 children had curative resections as indicated by "tumor-free" microscopic margins. No major intra- or postoperative complications were encountered. Three-dimensional CT imaging can provide high quality images of the tumors and location of the tumor relative to vital hepatic blood vessels. This technique offers a kind of comparatively accurate method compared with traditional imaging techniques, it could help the surgeon identify the tumor borders accurately and devise a comparative safe surgical strategy. With its help the surgeon could identify vital hepatic blood vessels before operation, so they can avoid massive hemorrhaging and avoid massive hemorrhaging during operation. This technique should be more widely applied in the resection of large or complex liver tumors.

The role of liver transplantation in the management of paediatric liver tumours

In recent years, considerable progress has been made in the treatment of children with hepatoblastoma largely due to effective pre-operative chemotherapy. Total hepatectomy and liver transplantation has emerged as an effective treatment for the small proportion of children with unresectable hepatoblastoma limited to the liver. A 5-year survival of 70% can be achieved in such cases. In contrast, the results of liver transplantation in children with hepatocellular cancer remain poor because these tumours are usually advanced with evidence of major vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread at the time of presentation. An exception is those children in whom the hepatocellular carcinoma is detected during surveillance of chronic liver disease - they typically have smaller tumours and frequently have a good prognosis after liver transplantation. The role of liver transplantation in children with other primary hepatic malignancies remains uncertain because experience is very limited. Liver transplantation is rarely needed in the management of children with benign liver tumours but, if other treatments have failed, it can be a life-saving intervention.

Treatment outcomes for hepatoblastoma: an institution's experience over two decades

Our objective is to review a leading Australian tertiary referral centre's experience in treating hepatoblastoma over two decades. This is a retrospective study of clinical, radiological and pathological data in hepatoblastoma patients treated at our institution between 1984 and 2004. Thirty children (17 male, 13 female) ranging in age from 5 months to 6.5 years (median 19 months) at diagnosis were reviewed. This is the largest case series reported in Australia to date. The median length of follow-up was 6.3 years (range 7 months to 20.9 years). On average, the number of new cases increased by 0.12 each year (P=0.01). A total of 29 patients underwent definitive surgery for primary tumour control. Of these, two (7%) had initial primary surgery, while 27 (93%) had delayed surgery following neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Chemotherapy regimens included the SIOPEL study protocols. Patients not enrolled in SIOPEL tended to be given more courses of chemotherapy. Ten patients (34%) received an extended right hemi-hepatectomy, six (21%) had right hemi-hepatectomy, seven (24%) had left hemi-hepatectomy, three (10%) had left lateral segmentectomy, and two (7%) had a non-anatomical resection. In addition, two patients required IVC reconstruction at the time of their primary liver resection. Overall survival at 5 years was 89.1% (95% CI 69.8-96.4%). Event-free survival at 5 years was 75.7% (95% CI 53.2-88.5%). There was a clear increase in the risk of recurrence (RR=4.8) and death (RR=4.5) where margins were not microscopically clear. However, neither reached statistical significance in this small cohort. Surgery was still worthwhile even when margins were involved. There was no correlation between mean AFP level at diagnosis, and outcome. Our experience suggests that the achievement of microscopically clear margins at the time of primary tumour resection is an important factor in achieving a positive long-term outcome. In addition, extended courses of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with pulmonary metastases achieves good long-term outcomes, provided adequate surgical resection of the primary tumour with clear microscopic margins can be achieved.

Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in treatment of hepatoblastoma in children: A report of 15 cases

AIM: To evaluate the clinical feasibility, therapeutic effect, applications and roles of transcatheter arterial chemoemb-olization (TACE) for the unresectable hepatoblastoma in children.

METHODS: Fifteen cases of unresectable hepatoblastoma were firstly treated with TACE for 18 times before secondary surgical resection. The changes of clinical symptoms, signs and AFP before and after TACE, and the conditions of operation were analyzed. The therapeutic effect in long term was followed up for all the cases.

RESULTS: Re-examinations were performed after several days to 1 month. Tumors treated with TACE shrank with 19-82% (average 58.6%)(Paired samples test, t = 3.171, P = 0.007), and the levels of AFP reduced significantly from 29% to 89%(mean 57.38%) (Paired samples test, t = 1.784,P = 0.096). No significant chemotherapeutic toxicity was observed. Twelve cases of hepatoblastoma were safely excised. Pathological examination showed massive necrosis (63.1% on average) in the resected tumor tissues. The 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 93.3% (14/15), 66.6% (10/15) and 40%(6/15) respectively by follow-up.

CONCLUSION: TACE is a safe, effective therapeutic method for unresectable hepatoblastoma in children. It is also effective in reducing hemorrhage and tumor cell pervasion during operation.