[Combination chemotherapy and chemoembolization in the treatment of primary inoperable hepatoblastoma]

A 33 months old girl and a 5 months old boy presented with unresectable hepatoblastoma (group III) and were treated with combination chemotherapy using Adriamycin, Cyclophosphamide, Cisplatinum (regimen I) and Adriamycin, Etoposide, Cisplatinum (regimen II). In both patients tumor size and alpha-fetoprotein levels decreased remarkably. Tumor regression was considerably enhanced by selective chemoembolization (Ethibloc, Adriamycin) of the right hepatic artery in one patient. After preoperative chemotherapy hepatoblastomas could be removed surgically. Local recurrence in the older patient was treated again successfully by surgery and chemotherapy. The patients are surviving disease-free 17 and 28 months from diagnosis. The efficacy of the treatment warrants prospective clinical trials in patients with unresectable hepatoblastoma.