Liver cancer discovered in unborn child

NAGPUR, May 19: Dinesh Singh, MD, consultant radiologist and sonologist at K K Sonography-2 D Echo Clinic, Indora Chowk, Kamptee Road, Nagpur has made a rare discovery of liver cancer in an unborn child. Only two such cases have ever been reported in world journals.

Singh had conducted a routine ultrasound examination when a first-time pregnant woman, aged 27, with premature labour pains had come for a general check-up at the clinic. In the ultrasonography test Singh observed the foetus had liver carcinoma (Hepato blastoma), a rare type of liver cancer of size 4 x 3 cms in intrauterine life.

The stage of diagnosis was too late to advise medical termination of pregnancy. At a later stage, M Gaurkhede, MD, DGO delivered the baby normally in her Harshal Maternity Hospital .

According to the doctor, the prognosis of the case is very poor and says that the child could survive for only two years. Standard cancer therapy like radiation and chemotherapy are highly dangerous for the newborn.