Initial Diagnosis: Hepatoblastoma

Before Baby Mason was born, a 28-week ultrasound revealed that there was a tumor on the left lobe of his liver. A second ultrasound performed at the 38th week of pregnancy showed that the size of the tumor had increased.

Mason was born two weeks before his due date via scheduled cesarean section. An abdominal enhanced CT showed that the tumor had grown and compressed his left kidney. Four days after being born, Mason underwent surgery and had the tumor and surrounding liver tissue removed. A postoperative pathology report of the tumor revealed an epithelial hepatoblastoma, a very rare tumor in the liver that primarily affects children from infancy to about 3 years of age.

Gene testing revealed a mutated gene, the tumor mutation load (TMB) showed a relatively high number of mutations. A month after surgery, Baby Mason received chemotherapy treatment. Mason’s alpha-feto protein (AFP) level, one indicator of pediatric liver cancer, remained high after chemotherapy, potentially causing the disease to progress further.

MORE Health Co-Diagnosis Analysis

Mason’s parents contacted MORE Health for a second opinion. MORE Health immediately contacted Dr. Jason Law from Tufts Medical Center and Dr. James Geller from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital to review his case, both of whom questioned the original diagnosis. Dr. Law requested further clarification on the source of the cancer cells for a clear staging of the disease. Dr. Geller questioned that the current tests could hardly draw a concrete diagnosis of mixed-type epithelial hepatoblastoma. In the meantime, the physicians believed it would be necessary to check all commonly associated conditions for suspected pediatric hepatoblastoma. Based on additional testing, the physicians recommended a tailored C5V adjuvant chemotherapy treatment that has a proven response rate up to 95% with minimal side effects.

The Outcome

Baby Mason’s parents decided to take the recommended plan from Dr. Law and Dr. Geller. After the six-week chemotherapy treatment, Mason’s AFP level fell, indicating success of his treatment. Mason was cleared of any spreading of the cancer and deemed highly likely to be cured.

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