Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Pediatric hepatocellular carcinoma (P-HCC) is a malignancy that resembles in many respects adult-type HCC. P-HCC is a highly invasive and aggressive neoplasm with a tendency for early metastatic spread. The tumor frequently develops in the setting of hepatitis B virus infection but also occurs in association with congenital hepatobiliary tract disorders and inborn errors of metabolism. Epidemiologically, P-HCC is rarer than hepatoblastoma. Only about 0.5 % of all pediatric malignancies are P-HCC. The tumor mainly occurs in an age group that is older than that of hepatoblastomas but also develops in infants and small children. The histological presentation of P-HCC appears to be the same as that in adult-type HCC, but future molecular studies will show whether P-HCC and adult-type HCC are in fact the same or different diseases.