Tang R, Qi SQ, Zhang T, Pan ZB, Xu JH. Progress in the study of therapeutic strategies for hepatoblastoma in children. World J Gastrointest Oncol 2025; 17(6): 107700 [DOI: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i6.107700]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Jia-Hua Xu, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital, Wangjiang Street, Hefei 231000, Anhui Province, China. xujiahua.cn@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Minireviews
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Jun 15, 2025; 17(6): 107700 Published online Jun 15, 2025. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v17.i6.107700
Progress in the study of therapeutic strategies for hepatoblastoma in children
Ran Tang, Shi-Qin Qi, Tao Zhang, Zhu-Bin Pan, Jia-Hua Xu
Ran Tang, Shi-Qin Qi, Tao Zhang, Zhu-Bin Pan, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital, Hefei 231000, Anhui Province, China
Jia-Hua Xu, Department of Gastroenterology, Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital, Hefei 231000, Anhui Province, China
Co-corresponding authors: Zhu-Bin Pan and Jia-Hua Xu.
Author contributions: Tang R and Qi SQ contributed equally to the literature review, data analysis, and manuscript drafting; Zhang T participated in the critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content; Pan ZB and Xu JH provided overall guidance, supervised the study, and contributed to manuscript editing; Pan ZB and Xu JH are jointly responsible for the final approval of the version to be published, contributed equally to this article, and are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jia-Hua Xu, Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, Anhui Provincial Children’s Hospital, Wangjiang Street, Hefei 231000, Anhui Province, China. xujiahua.cn@163.com
Received: March 28, 2025 Revised: April 10, 2025 Accepted: May 12, 2025 Published online: June 15, 2025 Processing time: 77 Days and 12.1 Hours
Abstract
Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common primary malignant liver tumor in children, representing approximately 50% to 60% of pediatric liver cancers. It predominantly affects children under the age of 3 years, with a slightly higher incidence in boys compared to girls. The main pathological subtypes of HB are epithelial and mixed types. The etiology and pathogenesis are unclear and may be related to factors such as genetics and gene mutations. The diagnosis primarily relies on imaging examinations (including abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging) and serum alpha-fetoprotein testing. Treatment approaches include surgical resection, chemotherapy, and liver transplantation. Surgical resection is currently the only curative option, especially effective for early-stage localized tumors; chemotherapy can be used to shrink tumors before surgery or to manage their progression; liver transplantation is recommended for cases that cannot be surgically removed or for instances where the disease recurs after surgery. Recent advancements have encouraged a multidisciplinary approach to treatment, with ongoing research into new chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. Despite these developments, challenges remain, such as the need for more precise and individualized therapies, chemotherapy resistance that can lead to poor outcomes in some patients, and a shortage of organ donors, along with the risk of immune rejection after transplantation. A thorough synthesis of current therapeutic strategies will establish an evidence-based foundation to enhance the management of HB in children, ultimately improving prognosis and quality of life.
Core Tip: Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common malignant liver tumor in children, and its treatment has evolved remarkably in recent years. This review summarizes the latest advances in HB epidemiology, molecular classification, risk stratification, surgical innovations, and systemic therapies. Emphasis is placed on current challenges and critical comparisons of treatment modalities, such as surgical timing, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, liver transplantation, and targeted therapies. By integrating updated evidence and proposing future research directions, this article provides practical insights to guide clinical decision-making and promote individualized, precision therapy in pediatric HB.
