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Updated: Jul 5, 2026
Application of Hemostatic Devices in Laparoscopic Hepatectomy
Published on: April 19, 2022
[Surgical treatment of children with hepatic tumours]
Allan Rasmussen1, Nina Kvist, Preben Kirkegaard
1Rigshospitalet, Abdominalcentret, Kirurgisk Gastroenterologisk Klinik C, København Ø. allan.rasmussen@dadlnet.dk
Insights
Surgical treatment for pediatric hepatoblastoma, including resection and liver transplantation, shows similar survival rates. Advances in chemotherapy have improved outcomes, making liver resection feasible for more patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric oncology
- Surgical oncology
- Hepatobiliary surgery
Context:
- Review of surgical treatments for pediatric hepatic tumors.
- Study included 33 children undergoing liver resection or transplantation since 1990.
- Focus on hepatoblastoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, mesenchymal tumors, and giant hemangioma.
Purpose:
- To review surgical treatment outcomes for children with hepatic tumors.
- Specifically analyze treatment results for the hepatoblastoma cohort.
- Evaluate the impact of surgical approach and tumor extent on survival.
Summary:
- Survival rates for hepatoblastoma were comparable between liver resection (77.3%) and liver transplantation (75%).
- No significant difference in survival based on resection type or tumor growth at diagnosis.
- Neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by resection or transplantation is the recommended treatment for pediatric hepatoblastoma.
Impact:
- Treatment outcomes for pediatric hepatoblastoma have significantly improved over recent decades.
- Danish results align with international benchmarks.
- Effective neoadjuvant chemotherapy enables liver resection in previously unresectable cases.
Introduction:
In this paper we review the results of surgical treatment of children with hepatic tumours.
Materials And Methods:
The study comprises 33 children who have undergone lever resection or liver transplantation since 1990. 26 patients had hepatoblastoma, 3 had hepatocellular carcinoma, 2 had rhabdomyosarcoma, 1 had a mesenchymal tumour, and 1 had a giant haemangioma.
Results:
Because of the number of patients, we only analyzed the results of the treatment in the hepatoblastoma group. The survival was the same after resection (77.3%) and liver transplantation (75%). There was no difference in survival dependent on the type of resection, and there was no impact of the extension of tumour growth at the time of diagnosis.
Conclusion:
The combination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by liver resection or liver transplantation is the treatment of choice in all children with hepatoblastoma. The results have improved dramatically over the last decades. The results in Denmark compare well with international results. Since 2000, very effective chemotherapy has downstaged all referred patients, so subsequent liver resection have been possible.
