What is the most common childhood malignant tumor of the liver?

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Multiple Choice

What is the most common childhood malignant tumor of the liver?

Hepatoblastoma is the most common malignant liver tumor in children. It typically presents in early childhood, often under age 5, as an abdominal mass and frequently shows elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. These tumors arise from immature liver cells, and treatment usually involves multimodal therapy with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor followed by surgical resection (or liver transplant if unresectable). Hepatocellular carcinoma can occur in children but is much rarer and usually linked to underlying liver disease; the other two options are benign liver lesions in kids—hemangioma being the most common vascular tumor in infancy and focal nodular hyperplasia seen more in older children and adults.

Hepatoblastoma is the most common malignant liver tumor in children. It typically presents in early childhood, often under age 5, as an abdominal mass and frequently shows elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. These tumors arise from immature liver cells, and treatment usually involves multimodal therapy with chemotherapy to shrink the tumor followed by surgical resection (or liver transplant if unresectable).

Hepatocellular carcinoma can occur in children but is much rarer and usually linked to underlying liver disease; the other two options are benign liver lesions in kids—hemangioma being the most common vascular tumor in infancy and focal nodular hyperplasia seen more in older children and adults.

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