Evaluation of the diagnostic biopsy approach for children with hepatoblastoma: A report from the Children’s Oncology Group AHEP 0731 Liver Tumor Committee
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In brief
In brief
This Children's Oncology Group study compared biopsy approaches in 121 children with unresectable hepatoblastoma, finding that percutaneous biopsy had zero transfusion-requiring hemorrhages versus 36% for open and 24% for laparoscopic approaches. All three techniques provided adequate diagnostic tissue.
Written by the GCMD Library team from the article.
Background
The histopathological assessment of pediatric liver tumors at presentation is critical to establish a diagnosis, guide treatment, and collect appropriate research samples. The purpose of this study was to evaluate complications associated with different approaches to liver biopsy for newly diagnosed hepatoblastoma.
Methods
Children with hepatoblastoma were enrolled on Children's Oncology Group study AHEP0731 (September 2009–March 2012). This analysis evaluated the study cohort of initially unresectable patients who therefore underwent a biopsy procedure at diagnosis. The primary endpoint was clinically significant postbiopsy hemorrhage, defined as requiring red blood cell transfusion.
Results
We identified 121 children who underwent open (n = 76, 63%), laparoscopic (n = 17, 14%), or percutaneous (n = 28, 23%) liver biopsies. All biopsy procedures yielded adequate tissue for diagnosis. Postbiopsy hemorrhage requiring transfusion occurred after 26% (n = 31) of biopsies. Need for blood product transfusion most frequently occurred following open (n = 27/76, 36%) and laparoscopic (n = 4/17, 24%) biopsies, compared with percutaneous (n = 0/28, 0%) biopsies (p