Hepatoblastoma in Children: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

A rare tumour that originates in the liver cells, Hepatoblastoma is by far the most common malignant liver tumour seen in early childhood. Most of these tumors are first seen in the liver’s right lobe, from where they spread to other body parts. The most common site of this cancer is the lungs.

This cancer usually affects infants and children till the age of five years. A majority of Hepatoblastoma cases make their first appearance when the infant is about 18 months old. It is seen to affect white children more than coloured, and affects boys more till the age of five. It is often seen in premature babies with low birth weights.

Cause

Hepatoblastoma in children is caused by a change in a gene.

Symptoms

The symptoms of Hepatoblastoma in children vary depending on how big the tumour is and if it has spread. Its symptoms can vary from child to child and can include:

• Jaundice
• Lump in the stomach
• Distended abdomen
• Pain in the stomach
• Fever
• Weight loss
• Loss of appetite
• Itchy skin
• Exhaustion
• Nausea and vomiting
• Enlarged veins on the stomach

Diagnosis

If the child complains of pain in the stomach or the parent sees a lump in his stomach, he may be taken to the doctor. The doctor, after due examination, will ask to have the following tests taken:

• Blood tests
• Ultrasound
• CT scan
• MRI
• Tumor biopsy

The child will also have to undergo other tests from which the doctors will learn more about his condition. They will come to know how far the cancer has spread. From this, two groupings are made:

Each grouping has a value of I, II, III, and IV. The higher the number, the greater the number of liver lobes affected by cancer and the more advanced its stage. From these groupings, the specialist will decide the course of treatment.

Treatment

There are several treatment options for Hepatoblastoma in children. They are:

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Liver transplant
• Radiation therapy
• Clinical trials
• Supportive care

Why Rela Hospital

No one likes to see children in pain. Neither do we, at Dr Rela Hospital, Chennai. Today, we are pleased to announce that our patients are treated perfectly and go home satisfied that all’s well with them. Is this due to the ultra-modern infrastructure, the updated skills of internationally trained surgeons, the well-trained and experienced nursing and attendant staff? Or is it sheer luck and the destiny of the patient?

At this institute, we believe it’s because they reached out to us in time. With the timely help of our surgeons and our frontrunner, Dr Rela, we cross every hurdle. Today, we are among the finest Paediatric liver cancer treatment hospitals in India.

And we’re proud of it.

Often, our surgeons are faced with performing complicated surgery on children. This is sometimes for Paediatric liver transplantation in India. We are happy to state that our paediatric patients generally go home happy and healthy and lead normal lives.

Through all our institute’s growing years up to now, we have seen myriad cases of varying complexity. However, we have always remained committed to their welfare. So, we go beyond the call of our duty to ensure that our patients get the best treatment. That’s because you can source the Best paediatric liver surgery doctor in Chennai, India, right here.