Clinical Analysis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Children

Abstract

Our study on 13 children with hepatocellular carcinoma who were treated in Seoul National University Hospital spanning from january, 1986 to April, 1995 revealed following results. Their average age at diagnosis was 11 years(range, 8 years to 15 years) and there was a slight predilection for males in a ratio of 2.3 to one. The most common chief complaint was abdominal mass(46%) and enlarged livers were palpated in all 13 patients. Whereas liver function tests were normal, -fetoprotein levels were significantly high and proved to be a useful tumor marker in follow-up. Seven children underwent resection for cure and one child had incomplete resection. Five of these patients are still alive except one patient with lung metastasis, and the disease free interval was 12.8 months(range, 3 to 27 months). The lung metastasis was eradicatedby chemotherapy and then the hepatoma was resected curatively. Five tumors could only be biopsied; all ofthese patients died within 7 months regardless of what treatment they received. The 2 year survival rate is 41% and mean length of survival is 12.8 months. Improved techniques in liver resection and chemotherapy can prolong the survival rate of hepatocellular cancer of childhood and can be undertaken even for unresectable lesions.