TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Surgery
Source: Hepatoblastoma, National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: February 21, 2025 · 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 hepatoblastoma
When possible, the cancer is removed by surgery. The types of surgery that may be done are:
Partial hepatectomy is surgery to remove the part of the liver where cancer is found. The part removed may be a wedge of tissue, an entire lobe, or a larger part of the liver, along with a small amount of normal tissue around it.
Liver transplant is the removal of the entire liver by surgery, followed by a transplant of a healthy liver from a donor. A liver transplant may be possible when cancer has not spread beyond the liver, and a donated liver can be found. If the patient has to wait for a donated liver, other treatment is given as needed.
Resection of metastases is surgery to remove cancer that has spread outside of the liver, such as to nearby tissues, the lungs, or the brain.
The type of surgery that can be done depends on:
the PRETEXT group and POSTTEXT group
the size of the primary tumor
whether there is more than one tumor in the liver
whether the cancer has spread to nearby large blood vessels
the level of AFP in the blood
whether the tumor can be shrunk by chemotherapy, so that it can be removed by surgery
whether a liver transplant is needed
Chemotherapy is sometimes given before surgery to shrink the tumor and make it easier to remove. This is called neoadjuvant therapy.
After the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the surgery, some patients may be given chemotherapy or radiation therapy to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery to lower the risk that the cancer will come back is called adjuvant therapy.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice