TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Chemotherapy
Source: Childhood Hepatocellular Carcinoma, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: December 19, 2024 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
NCI patient article for the named subtype within this topic Source-defined subtype article; do not apply its treatment text to every subtype in the umbrella topic.
Context: Types of treatment for childhood hepatocellular carcinoma
Chemotherapy (also called chemo) uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy either kills the cancer cells or stops them from dividing. Chemotherapy may be given alone or with other types of treatment, such as radiation therapy.
There are two main ways to give chemotherapy to treat childhood hepatocellular carcinoma:
Systemic chemotherapy is chemotherapy that is injected into a vein or muscle. When given this way, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body.
Regional chemotherapy is chemotherapy that is placed directly into the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen. When given this way, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. Chemoembolization of the hepatic artery (the main artery that supplies blood to the liver) is a type of regional chemotherapy used to treat childhood hepatocellular carcinoma that cannot be removed by surgery. The anticancer drug is injected into the hepatic artery through a catheter (thin tube). The drug is mixed with a substance that blocks the artery, cutting off blood flow to the tumor. Most of the anticancer drug is trapped near the tumor, and only a small amount of the drug reaches other parts of the body. The blockage may be temporary or permanent, depending on the substance used to block the artery. The tumor is prevented from getting the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow. The liver continues to receive blood from the hepatic portal vein, which carries blood from the stomach and intestine to the liver. This procedure is also called transarterial chemoembolization, or TACE.
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Chemotherapy drugs used alone or in combination to treat childhood hepatocellular carcinoma include:
cisplatin
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doxorubicin
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fluorouracil (5-FU)
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vincristine
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Other chemotherapy drugs not listed here may also be used.
Learn more about how chemotherapy works, how it is given, common side effects, and more at Chemotherapy to Treat Cancer.
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Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice