TREATMENT OF HEPATOBLASTOMA

Fourteen patients with hepatoblastoma were treated at Gunma University Hospital and Gunma Children's Hospital Medical Center between 1966 and December 1992. The ages of the patients, 13 boys and 1 girl, ranged from 2 months to 10 years (median 1 year). The tumor was stage I in 2 patients, II in 5, IIIA in 2, IIIB in 4, and IV in one patient. The histological type was well differentiated in 6 and poorly differentiated in 4 (unknown in 4). Macroscopically, the tumor was resected in 9 of 11 patients who underwent operation. Intraarterial infusion of adriamycin or mitomycin C was done in 5 patients and embolization of the hepatic artery was also performed in 3. Chemotherapy was used in 11 patients but radiation (16-40Gy) only in 3. At the time of evaluation, January 1993, 7 out of 9 patients whose tumor was resected survived without any evidence of disease. Six patients died of disease between 1 and 8 months after treatment. One patient died of recurrent disease 5 years after treatment. Postoperative complications included portal hypertension with esophageal varices. Hemihypertrophy was observed in 2 patients.