Stages of childhood liver cancer are either presurgical or postsurgical in nature. Those stages are broken down further, depending on where the cancer is located in the liver and whether it has spread. Tests used to determine the stages of childhood liver cancer include MRI and CT scans, as well as ultrasound tests and sometimes surgery.
Stages of Childhood Liver Cancer: An Introduction
If a diagnosis of childhood
liver cancer is made, the doctor needs to know the stage of liver cancer -- or the extent of the disease -- in order to plan the best
childhood liver cancer treatment. Staging is an attempt to find out the size of the tumor, whether the disease has spread, and, if so, to what parts of the body.
How the Stages of Childhood Liver Cancer Are Determined
There are two staging systems for childhood liver cancer:
- Presurgical (before surgery) staging: The stage is based on where the tumor has spread within the four parts (quadrants) of the liver, as shown by imaging procedures, such as MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or CT (computed tomography) scans. This staging system, called PRETEXT, may be used for childhood hepatoblastoma.
- Postsurgical (after surgery) staging: The stage is based on the amount of tumor that remains after the patient has had surgery to look at or remove the tumor. Postsurgical staging is used for most cases of childhood liver cancer.
Tests Used to Determine Stages of Childhood Liver Cancer
The following tests and procedures may be used in the staging process:
- CT scan: Also called a CAT scan, this is a procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging): A procedure that uses a magnet, radio waves, and a computer to make a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body. This procedure is also called nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI).
- Ultrasound: A procedure in which high-energy sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echoes form a picture of body tissues called a sonogram.
- Surgery: An operation will be done to look at or remove the tumor. Tissues removed during surgery will be checked by a pathologist.
Add this article to your Favorites
Email this article
Print