Surgical treatment of primary liver tumors in children: outcomes analysis of resection and transplantation in the SEER database

Abstract

Adjusted survival outcomes following hepatic resection and transplantation for pediatric liver tumors have not been compared. To address this question, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using the SEER registry. While SEER lacks certain specifics regarding staging, chemotherapy, comorbidities, and recurrence, important hypothesis-generating data are available and were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier statistics and Cox proportional hazards regression. All SEER patients under the age of 20 yr undergoing surgery for HB (n = 318) or HCC (n = 80) between 1998 and 2009 were included. Of HB patients, 83.3% underwent resection and 16.7% transplantation. Advanced disease, vascular invasion, and satellite lesions were more common among transplant patients. Unadjusted five-yr survival was equivalent, as was the adjusted hazard of death for transplant relative to resection (HR = 0.58, p = 0.63). Of HCC patients, 75.0% underwent resection and 25.0% transplantation. Transplant patients had a higher prevalence of vascular invasion and satellite lesions. Five-yr survival was 53.4% after resection and 85.3% after transplant, and the adjusted hazard of death was significantly lower after transplantation (HR = 0.05, p = 0.045). While transplantation is generally reserved for unresectable tumors, the favorable survival seen in HCC patients suggests that liberalized transplant criteria might improve survival, although further prospective data are needed.

Keywords: hepatoblastoma; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver transplantation; pediatric; survival.