The liver is the body's largest solid organ. Lying next to the stomach on the right side of the abdomen, it has many jobs — like cleansing the blood of toxins, producing bile (which helps break down food during digestion), and storing energy in the form of a sugar called glycogen.
Tumors happen when abnormal cells form a mass or growth. If a tumor develops in the liver, the liver can't work as it should.
Types of Tumors
Tumors can be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).
Most benign liver tumors are present at birth. They're usually the result of abnormal tissue growth while the fetus was developing. Types of benign liver tumors include mesenchymal hamartomas, adenomas, and hemangiomas. These tumors can be watched by a doctor or removed through surgery with no other treatment needed.
Malignant liver tumors happen less frequently. These usually require more aggressive treatment, like chemotherapy and surgery.
Malignant (Cancerous) Tumors
Hepatoblastoma is most common in very young children (usually younger than 3). When found early, this type of cancer typically responds well to treatment with chemotherapy and surgery.
Hepatocellular carcinoma is more common in adults but can affect older children. Because it can be hard to remove surgically and might not respond to chemotherapy, hepatocellular carcinoma can be difficult to treat.
The cause of malignant liver tumors is unknown. But risk factors for hepatoblastoma include Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (a disorder that can cause too much growth in the body, including in the internal organs), familial adenomatous polyposis (a condition that causes polyps to form in the large intestine), being male, and having a very low birth weight.
Medical conditions connected with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma include infection with hepatitis B or C, or conditions connected with cirrhosis (long-term damage) of the liver, like hereditary hemochromatosis and autoimmune hepatitis.
Symptoms
Early on, a child with a liver tumor might have few symptoms — or none at all. As the mass grows, however, these symptoms may develop:
- a lump that can be felt in the abdomen, or a swollen abdomen
- pain on the right side of the abdomen, where the liver is (if the tumor is pressing on nerves or muscles, pain may extend upward and back)
- early puberty
- decreased appetite and weight loss
- vomiting
- jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)