Research Uncovers Origins of Rare Pediatric Liver Cancer

Study reveals insights into hepatoblastoma with carcinoma features (HBC), a third type of liver tumor in children

Mar. 17, 2026 at 5:30am

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Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital have conducted a study published in the Journal of Hepatology that provides valuable insights into the cellular composition and relationships between different cell types in hepatoblastoma with carcinoma features (HBC), a rare type of pediatric liver cancer. The findings have implications for understanding how HBC tumors emerge and their response to therapies.

Why it matters

Liver cancer in children is rare, but when it occurs, the two main types are hepatoblastoma (HB) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In some cases, the tumors show features of both types, and these have been classified into a third tumor category called hepatoblastoma with carcinoma features (HBC). Understanding the origins and characteristics of HBC tumors is crucial for developing more effective treatments, as children with HBC tumors have significantly worse survival rates compared to those with typical HB.

The details

Using DNA and RNA single-cell sequencing, the researchers discovered that HBC tumors contain three kinds of cancer cells: HB-like cells, HCC-like cells, and HBC-specific cells, which show molecular features of both HBs and HCCs. They found that HBC tumors originate from hepatic stem cells, and these undifferentiated tumor cells are less responsive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Analyzing treatment outcome data revealed that children with HBC tumors had worse survival rates than children with typical HB, with a 5-year overall survival of around 40% for HBC patients compared to 80% for HB patients.

  • The current study was published in the Journal of Hepatology in 2026.

The players

Dr. Pavel Sumazin

Professor of pediatrics, hematology-oncology at Baylor College of Medicine, member of the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center and Quantitative and Computational Biosciences at Baylor, and co-corresponding author of the study.

Baylor College of Medicine

A private, non-profit health sciences university in Houston, Texas, where the research was conducted.

Texas Children's Hospital

A children's hospital in Houston, Texas, that collaborated on the study.

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What they’re saying

“In 2022, our team identified HBCs as a third group of liver tumor types in children.”

— Dr. Pavel Sumazin, Professor of pediatrics, hematology-oncology (Journal of Hepatology)

“HBCs originate from hepatic stem cells and these types of undifferentiated tumor cells are less responsive to chemotherapy and immunotherapy.”

— Dr. Pavel Sumazin, Professor of pediatrics, hematology-oncology (Journal of Hepatology)

“The 5-year overall survival is about 80% for HB patients and around 40% for HBC patients overall, but transplanted HBC patients do better.”

— Dr. Pavel Sumazin, Professor of pediatrics, hematology-oncology (Journal of Hepatology)

What’s next

The researchers plan to further investigate the role of the WNT signaling pathway in the development of HBC tumors and explore potential therapeutic strategies that target this pathway to improve outcomes for children with this rare and aggressive form of liver cancer.

The takeaway

This study provides critical insights into the origins and molecular characteristics of hepatoblastoma with carcinoma features (HBC), a rare and aggressive type of pediatric liver cancer. The findings highlight the importance of continued research to understand the unique biology of HBC tumors and develop more effective treatments to improve outcomes for children diagnosed with this challenging disease.