Clinical Characteristics and Prognosis of Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Cytomorphology of paediatric hepatocellular carcinoma: A useful diagnostic adjunct

INTRODUCTION

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common primary malignancy of the liver but is rare in the paediatric age group; thus, it may be misdiagnosed as the more common tumour, hepatoblastoma. Management varies in both these tumours, and pathological diagnosis thus plays an important role for definitive therapy. Only a few case reports available in the literature have described the cytological characteristics of paediatric HCC. The present study was thus planned to evaluate the cytomorphological features of paediatric HCC.

METHODS

Cases diagnosed with HCC on ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology over a period of 14 years were retrieved. The cases were evaluated for detailed cytological features including cellularity, architecture, sinusoidal wrapping, trabecular thickness, necrosis, anisonucleosis, chromatin, nucleoli, nuclear contours, bi- or multinucleation, intranuclear and intracytoplasmic inclusions, naked nuclei, extra-medullary haematopoiesis, monomorphism, and nuclear overlapping.

RESULTS

Twelve cases of HCC were included in the study. The median age at diagnosis was 10 years. Serum alpha-fetoprotein level was raised in most of them. Five of the 12 cases were characterised as moderately differentiated, three as poorly differentiated, two as well differentiated, and two as the fibrolamellar type of HCC. Cytohistological correlation was performed in seven cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration serves as a useful tool to diagnose paediatric HCC and differentiate it from other primary hepatic malignancies, especially hepatoblastoma which closely mimics HCC in this age group, as serum alpha protein levels and imaging findings are unable to distinguish these two tumours.

Liver Transplantation for Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Liver transplantation (LT) is the only potentially curative option for children with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a systematic review of the MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases (end-of-search date: 31 July 2020). Our outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). We evaluated the effect of clinically relevant variables on outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Sixty-seven studies reporting on 245 children undergoing LT for HCC were included. DFS data were available for 150 patients and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 92.3%, 89.1%, and 84.5%, respectively. Sixty of the two hundred and thirty-eight patients (25.2%) died over a mean follow up of 46.8 ± 47.4 months. OS data were available for 222 patients and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87.9%, 78.8%, and 74.3%, respectively. Although no difference was observed between children transplanted within vs. beyond Milan criteria (p = 0.15), superior OS was observed in children transplanted within vs. beyond UCSF criteria (p = 0.02). LT can yield favorable outcomes for pediatric HCC beyond Milan but not beyond UCSF criteria. Further research is required to determine appropriate LT selection criteria for pediatric HCC.

De novo hepatocellular carcinoma 18 years after liver and small bowel transplantation in a one-year-old pediatric patient

De novo HCC following transplantation in a child is a rare occurrence. Even within the adult liver transplantation population, there are a limited number of published cases. In this report, we present a case of de novo HCC found in a child, post-multivisceral transplantation. A 19-year-old boy, at the age of one, received liver and small bowel transplantation due to short gut syndrome secondary to midgut volvulus and total parenteral nutrition-associated liver disease. Eighteen years later, he was found to have a large mass involving the right hepatic dome consistent with HCC. To the best of our knowledge, this is the second reported case after gut transplantation and the third case post-liver transplantation in the pediatric population.

Prognostic analysis for children with hepatoblastoma with lung metastasis: A single-center analysis of 98 cases

AIMS

To analyze the factors affecting the prognosis of hepatoblastoma (HB) with lung metastasis in children.

METHODS

The HB patients with lung metastases admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University were collected. The clinical data, overall results, and prognostic factors were analyzed. Multivariate analysis was done by the Cox proportional hazards model for patients' prognosis.

RESULTS

Finally, 98 HB patients (64 boys and 34 girls) with lung metastasis met the inclusion criteria, in which 64 patients had lung metastases at diagnosis (median age, 22.3 months) and 34 patients developed lung metastases while on treatment (median time, 6.5 months). The survival time and 5-year survival rate of patients with standard treatment were significantly longer than that of without standard treatment (P < .001). The survival time and 3-year survival rate had no difference between patients underwent lung metastasectomy and without lung metastasectomy (P = .099), between different diagnosis time of lung metastasis in HB patients (P = .37), between each histology type (P = .313), and different PRETEXT stage (P = .353). While the survival time and 3-year survival rate of patients with lung metastasis alone were significantly longer than that of patients with extrapulmonary involvement (P = .007). Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model revealed that the lung metastasis accompanied with extrapulmonary involvement was a risk factor affecting prognosis (HR = 0.460, 95% CI 0.239-0.888).

CONCLUSIONS

For HB children with lung metastatic, extrapulmonary involvement might be a high-risk factor of prognosis and standardized treatment with lung metastasectomy might prolong the survival time of them.

Survival of children after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in childhood differs from adult HCC because it is often associated with inherited liver disease. It is, however, unclear whether liver transplantation (LT) for HCC in childhood with or without associated inherited disease has a comparable outcome to adult HCC. On the basis of data from the European Liver Transplant Registry (ELTR), we aimed to investigate if there are differences in patient and graft survival after LT for HCC between children and adults and between patients with underlying inherited versus noninherited liver disease, respectively. We included all 175 children who underwent LT for HCC and were enrolled in ELTR between 1985 and 2012. Of these, 38 had an associated inherited liver disease. Adult HCC patients with (n = 79) and without (n = 316, matched by age, sex, and LT date) inherited liver disease served as an adult comparison population. We used multivariable piecewise Cox regression models with shared frailty terms (for LT center) to compare patient and graft survival between the different HCC groups. Survival analyses demonstrated a superior longterm survival of children with inherited liver disease when compared with children with HCC without inherited liver disease (hazard ratio [HR], 0.29; 95% CI, 0.10-0.90; P = 0.03) and adults with HCC with inherited liver disease (HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.06-1.25; P = 0.09). There was no survival difference between adults with and without inherited disease (HR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.66-1.66; P = 0.84). In conclusion, the potential survival advantage of children with an HCC based on inherited disease should be acknowledged when considering transplantation and prioritization for these patients. Further prospective studies accounting for tumor size and extension at LT are necessary to fully interpret our findings. Liver Transplantation 24 246-255 2018 AASLD.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy for pediatric hepatocellular carcinoma with central biliary obstruction

Here, we present the case of a pediatric patient with newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma causing central biliary obstruction and persistently elevated bilirubin of 3.0-4.3 mg/dl despite placement of bilateral internal-external biliary drains. The tumor was not resectable, and the patient was not a candidate for liver transplant due to nodal disease, for chemotherapy due to hyperbilirubinemia, or for local therapies aside from stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). In this report, we discuss the successful use of SBRT in the management of this patient, and its role in allowing the patient to become a candidate for additional therapies.

Biliary atresia: Indications and timing of liver transplantation and optimization of pretransplant care

Biliary atresia (BA) is a progressive, fibro-obliterative disorder of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts in infancy. The majority of affected children will eventually develop end-stage liver disease and require liver transplantation (LT). Indications for LT in BA include failed Kasai portoenterostomy, significant and recalcitrant malnutrition, recurrent cholangitis, and the progressive manifestations of portal hypertension. Extrahepatic complications of this disease, such as hepatopulmonary syndrome and portopulmonary hypertension, are also indications for LT. Optimal pretransplant management of these potentially life-threatening complications and maximizing nutrition and growth require the expertise of a multidisciplinary team with experience caring for BA. The timing of transplant for BA requires careful consideration of the potential risk of transplant versus the survival benefit at any given stage of disease. Children with BA often experience long wait times for transplant unless exception points are granted to reflect severity of disease. Family preparedness for this arduous process is therefore critical. Liver Transplantation 23:96-109 2017 AASLD.

Prognostic factors in fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma in young people

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC) arises in pediatric/adolescent patients without cirrhosis. We retrospectively evaluated the impact of resection, nodal status, metastasis, and PRETEXT stage on overall survival (OS).

METHODS

With IRB approval, we reviewed records of 25 consecutive pediatric patients with FL-HCC treated at our institution from 1981 to 2011. We evaluated associations between OS and PRETEXT stage, nodal involvement, metastasis, and complete resection.

RESULTS

Median age at diagnosis was 17.1years (range, 11.6-20.5). Median follow-up was 2.74years (range, 5-9.5). Five (28%) patients had PRETEXT stage 1 disease, 10 (56%) had stage 2, 2 (11%) had stage 3, and 2 (11%) had stage 4 disease. On presentation, 17 (68%) patients had N1 disease, and 7 (28%) had parenchymal metastases. Complete resection was achieved in 17 (80.9%) of 21 patients who underwent resection. Five-year OS was 42.6%. Survival was positively associated with complete resection (P =0.003), negative regional lymph nodes (P =0.044), and lower PRETEXT stage (P <0.001), with a trend for metastatic disease (P =0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In young patients with FL-HCC, lower PRETEXT stage and complete resection correlated with prolonged survival, while metastatic disease and positive lymph node status were associated with poor prognosis. Thus, we recommend complete resection and regional lymphadenectomy whenever possible.

Hepatic neoplasms in children: a focus on differential diagnosis

Paediatric hepatic neoplasias are rare, accounting for 1-4% of all solid childhood tumors. Liver tumors in children can be classified into benign or malignant; some of the benign lesions can have the potential of malignant transformation. Two-thirds of liver tumors in children are malignant. Hepatoblastoma accounts for two-thirds of malignant liver tumors in children. Other liver malignancies in children include sarcomas, germ cell and rhabdoid tumours, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Benign tumors of the liver in children include vascular tumours, hamartomas, adenomas, and focal nodular hyperplasia. The histology and anatomy of a paediatric liver tumour guides the treatment and prognosis. Although benign and malignant liver masses share some clinical manifestations, treatment and prognosis differ.

Surgical treatment of primary liver tumors in children: outcomes analysis of resection and transplantation in the SEER database

Adjusted survival outcomes following hepatic resection and transplantation for pediatric liver tumors have not been compared. To address this question, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using the SEER registry. While SEER lacks certain specifics regarding staging, chemotherapy, comorbidities, and recurrence, important hypothesis-generating data are available and were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox proportional hazards regression. All SEER patients under the age of 20 yr undergoing surgery for HB (n = 318) or HCC (n = 80) between 1998 and 2009 were included. Of HB patients, 83.3% underwent resection and 16.7% transplantation. Advanced disease, vascular invasion, and satellite lesions were more common among transplant patients. Unadjusted five-yr survival was equivalent, as was the adjusted hazard of death for transplant relative to resection (HR = 0.58, p = 0.63). Of HCC patients, 75.0% underwent resection and 25.0% transplantation. Transplant patients had a higher prevalence of vascular invasion and satellite lesions. Five-yr survival was 53.4% after resection and 85.3% after transplant, and the adjusted hazard of death was significantly lower after transplantation (HR = 0.05, p = 0.045). While transplantation is generally reserved for unresectable tumors, the favorable survival seen in HCC patients suggests that liberalized transplant criteria might improve survival, although further prospective data are needed.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in children: epidemiology and the impact of regional lymphadenectomy on surgical outcomes

BACKGROUND

Factors influencing survival in children with HCC have not been studied. The objective of this study was to identify prognostic factors in pediatric HCC, and to determine whether regional lymphadenectomy is associated with improved survival.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) registry. All patients <20 years old diagnosed with HCC from 1973-2009 were included. Disease-specific survival was compared using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox proportional-hazards regression.

RESULTS

We identified 238 patients (139 Male: 99 Female). Overall, 112 (47%) received an operation (resection/transplantation). Observed mortality and adjusted hazard of disease-specific death was greater for females (HR=2.07, p=0.013) and older children. Among operative patients, 44% were documented to have a regional lymphadenectomy. Although demographic factors did not differ between lymphadenectomy and non-lymphadenectomy groups, patients who underwent lymphadenectomy had a greater proportion of metastatic disease (24% vs. 15%) and fibrolamellar HCC (53% vs. 31%). Five-year survival for lymphadenectomy patients was superior to non-lymphadenectomy (70% vs. 57%). Adjusted mortality for lymphadenectomy was also improved relative to non-lymphadenectomy (HR=0.26, p=0.013).

CONCLUSIONS

HCC in children is associated with poor survival, especially among children older than 4 years and girls. In surgical candidates, regional lymphadenectomy may be associated with improved survival.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma in a Boy with Progressive familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis Type II: Challenging Identification: Case report

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare in children. Progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis type II (PFIC2 and also called BSEP ((Bile Salt Export Pump)) deficiency) is an inherited disease that initiates end-stage liver cirrhosis which can predispose to HCC. HCC can occur in 15% of patients with PFIC2. In this case report, an 11-month-old boy with PFIC 2 was admitted for liver transplant work up. The finding of HCC was made incidentally by histopathology on the explanted liver after suspiciously gross examination. In this article, we found that the radiology (US) alone is not enough to exclude HCC. Finally, we conclude that any case of PFIC 2 (male or female) needs routine screening of serum AFP concentration, advanced radiological examination (CT, MRI) as well as careful macroscopic examination of their explanted liver (triple assessment) to exclude HCC.

Hepatocarcinoma in viral and metabolic liver disease

It is becoming increasingly evident that children, like adults, with chronic viral or metabolic liver diseases are at risk for the development of hepatocarcinoma. The aims of this article are to review the risk factors for hepatocarcinoma in chronic viral or metabolic liver disease, outline potential pathogenic mechanisms of hepatocarcinoma, and describe surveillance strategies, clinical evaluation, and management of hepatocarcinoma in children.

Hepatocellular carcinoma complicating biliary atresia after Kasai portoenterostomy

Kasai portoenterostomy (PE) increases the survival for children with biliary atresia (BA) and consequently postpones subsequential liver transplantation. All long-term survivors, however, develop complications of biliary cirrhosis. We report a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a 19-year-old male patient with BA and Kasai PE. The preoperative abdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging showed a large hepatic mass (diameter 10 cm). The serum alpha-fetoprotein level was within normal range. Pathologic findings of the mass, after orthotopic liver transplantation, demonstrated a well-differentiated HCC (T1N0M0). HCC is a rare complication of BA, but will intensively impair the survival. Therefore, clinicians should be alert to the development of HCC in this very young patient group. Repeated sequential magnetic resonance imaging of the native liver in patients with Kasai PE is necessary to monitor possible malignant transformation of liver nodules that may potentially develop as a result of chronic cholestatic liver disease.

Hepatocellular carcinoma bone metastasis in an 11-year-old boy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the second most common primary hepatic malignant tumor in children older than 4 years. We describe a rare case of an 11-year-old boy with HCC who presented with HCC of the right liver lobe followed by multiple osseous metastases, confirmed by imaging and biopsy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in ten children under five years of age with bile salt export pump deficiency

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare in young children. We attempted to see if immunohistochemical and mutational-analysis studies could demonstrate that deficiency of the canalicular bile acid transporter bile salt export pump (BSEP) and mutation in ABCB11, encoding BSEP, underlay progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC)--or "neonatal hepatitis" suggesting PFIC--that was associated with HCC in young children. We studied 11 cases of pediatric HCC in the setting of PFIC or "neonatal hepatitis" suggesting PFIC. Archival liver were retrieved and immunostained for BSEP. Mutational analysis of ABCB11 was performed in leukocyte DNA from available patients and parents. Among the 11 nonrelated children studied aged 13-52 months at diagnosis of HCC, 9 (and a full sibling, with neonatal hepatitis suggesting PFIC, of a tenth from whom liver was not available) had immunohistochemical evidence of BSEP deficiency; the eleventh child did not. Mutations in ABCB11 were demonstrated in all patients with BSEP deficiency in whom leukocyte DNA could be studied (n = 7). These mutations were confirmed in the parents (n = 14). With respect to the other 3 children with BSEP deficiency, mutations in ABCB11 were demonstrated in all 5 parents in whom leukocyte DNA could be studied. Thirteen different mutations were found. In conclusion, PFIC associated with BSEP deficiency represents a previously unrecognized risk for HCC in young children. Immunohistochemical evidence of BSEP deficiency correlates well with demonstrable mutation in ABCB11.