Liver cancer in children is rare. About 100 to 150 children are diagnosed with the disease each year. Most cases are diagnosed when the child is less than 18 months old.
The liver is one of the largest organs in the body. It is located on the ride side of the abdomen. It is split into a larger right lobe and a smaller left lobe. It also has two smaller lobes.
The liver performs a number of vital functions related to the digestion of food. The liver:
Makes and stores amino acids, proteins, certain vitamins and fat
Helps maintain the proper level of sugar in the blood
Makes bile, which breaks down fat in the small intestine
It collects and purifies blood by eliminating waste
The most common type of liver cancer in children is hepatoblastoma, which is comprised of cells that look like embryonic or fetal liver cells. This form of cancer accounts for two-thirds of cases and usually occurs in youngsters less than 5 years old. Children with hepatoblastoma have about a 70 percent overall survival rate.
The remaining third of liver cancers are hepatocellular and develop from hepatocytes, the main type of liver cell. Hepatocellular cancer usually doesn't occur in children under 10 years of age. The overall survival rate for those with this form of cancer is about 25 percent.
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