ArticlePediatric radiology2014
Relapse surveillance in AFP-positive hepatoblastoma: re-evaluating the role of imaging.
Article in Pediatric radiology, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of evidence for and against routine surveillance imaging after completing treatment for childhood extracranial solid tumors.Cancer medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Cancer surveillance in biliary atresia patients with native liver survival: Standardizing monitoring and follow-up.Pediatric surgery international · 2025Review
- Hepatoblastoma.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025Review
- Hepatoblastoma: From Molecular Mechanisms to Therapeutic Strategies.Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2025Review
- The RELIVE consortium for relapsed or refractory pediatric hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma: a scoping review of the problem and a proposed solution.EClinicalMedicine · 2024Article
- Hepatoblastoma Relapse-Findings from the German HB99 Trial and the German Liver Tumor Registry.Cancers · 2024Article
- miR-139-3p/Wnt5A Axis Inhibits Metastasis in Hepatoblastoma.Molecular biotechnology · 2023Article
- Imaging of pediatric liver tumors: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper.Pediatric blood & cancer · 2023Article
- Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio as predictive markers in hepatoblastoma.Frontiers in pediatrics · 2023Article
- Differentiating malignant and benign focal liver lesions in children using CEUS LI-RADS combined with serum alpha-fetoprotein.World journal of gastroenterology · 2022Article
- Factors influencing recurrence after complete remission in children with hepatoblastoma: A 14-year retrospective study in China.PloS one · 2021Article
- Development of the Serum α-Fetoprotein Reference Range in Patients with Beckwith-Wiedemann Spectrum.The Journal of pediatrics · 2019Article
- Article
- Staging and following common pediatric malignancies: MRI versus CT versus functional imaging.Pediatric radiology · 2018Review
- Histological and immunohistochemical study of hepatoblastoma: correlation with tumour behaviour and survival.Journal of gastrointestinal oncology · 2018Article
- Circulating D-dimer level correlates with disease characteristics in hepatoblastoma patients.Medicine · 2017Article
- MRI of paediatric liver tumours: How we review and report.Cancer imaging : the official publication of the International Cancer Imaging Society · 2016Review
- Bending the Cost Curve in Childhood Cancer.Current hematologic malignancy reports · 2016Review
- Outcome of Liver Resection for Hepatoblastoma in Children from a General Pediatric Surgery Referral Center.Journal of Indian Association of Pediatric SurgeonsArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChildren with hepatoblastoma routinely undergo repetitive surveillance imaging, with CT scans for several years after therapy, increasing the risk of radiation-induced cancer.
objectiveThe purpose of this study was to determine the utility of surveillance CT scans compared to serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels for the detection of hepatoblastoma relapse. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis was a retrospective study of all children diagnosed with AFP-positive hepatoblastoma from 2001 to 2011 at a single institution.
resultsTwenty-six children with hepatoblastoma were identified, with a mean age at diagnosis of 2 years 4 months (range 3 months to 11 years). Mean AFP level at diagnosis was 132,732 ng/ml (range 172.8-572,613 ng/ml). Five of the 26 children had hepatoblastoma relapse. A total of 105 imaging exams were performed following completion of therapy; 88 (84%) CT, 8 (8%) MRI, 5 (5%) US and 4 (4%) FDG PET/CT exams. A total of 288 alpha-fetoprotein levels were drawn, with a mean of 11 per child. The AFP level was elevated in all recurrences and no relapses were detected by imaging before AFP elevation. Two false-positive AFP levels and 15 false-positive imaging exams were detected. AFP elevation was found to be significantly more specific than PET/CT and CT imaging at detecting relapse.
conclusionWe recommend using serial serum AFP levels as the preferred method of surveillance in children with AFP-positive hepatoblastoma, reserving imaging for the early postoperative period, for children at high risk of relapse, and for determination of the anatomical site of clinically suspected recurrence. Given the small size of this preliminary study, validation in a larger patient population is warranted.
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