Living-donor liver transplantation associated with higher incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence than deceased-donor liver transplantation. Transplantation. 2014;97:71-77. [PMID: 24056623 DOI: 10.1097/tp.0b013e3182a68953]

Living donor liver transplantation in the USA

Living donor liver transplant (LDLT) accounts for a small volume of the transplants in the USA. Due to the current liver allocation system based on the model for end-stage liver disease (MELD), LDLT has a unique role in providing life-saving transplantation for patients with low MELD scores and significant complications from portal hypertension, as well as select patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Donor safety is paramount and has been a topic of much discussion in the transplant community as well as the general media. The donor risk appears to be low overall, with a favorable long-term quality of life. The latest trend has been a gradual shift from right-lobe grafts to left-lobe grafts to reduce donor risk, provided that the left lobe can provide adequate liver volume for the recipient.

Impact of non-oncological factors on tumor recurrence after liver transplantation in hepatocellular carcinoma patients

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary neoplasm of the liver and is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Liver transplantation (LT) has become one of the best curative therapeutic options for patients with HCC, although tumor recurrence after LT is a major and unaddressed cause of mortality. Furthermore, the factors that are associated with recurrence are not fully understood, and most previous studies have focused on the biological properties of HCC, such as the number and size of the HCC nodules, the degree of differentiation, the presence of hepatic vascular invasion, elevated serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein, and the tumor stage outside of the Milan criteria. Thus, little attention has been given to factors that are not directly related to HCC (i.e., “non-oncological factors”), which have emerged as predictors of tumor recurrence. This review was performed to assess the effects of non-oncological factors on tumor recurrence after LT. The identification of these factors may provide new research directions and clinical strategies for the prophylaxis and surveillance of tumor recurrence after LT, which can help reduce recurrence and improve patient survival.

Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation: an update

Liver transplantation is the only curative alternative for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who are not eligible for resection and/or with decompensated cirrhosis. According to Milan criteria the 5-year survival rate is 70-85%, with a recurrence-free survival of 75%. However, HCC recurrence rate after liver transplantation remains a significant problem in the clinical practice. The prognosis in patients with HCC recurrence is poor. The treatment of choice for HCC recurrence is surgery, but it seems that a systemic treatment based on combination of an mTOR inhibitor with sorafenib can be used. Data on safety and efficacy are limited, clinical monitoring is necessary. The aim of this review is to underline the main concerns, pitfalls and warnings for these patients.

A Mimicking Esophageal Cancer After Liver Transplant for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Rare Posttransplant Metastasis

Liver transplant is now considered to be a successful treatment modality for early hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, advances in immunosuppressive therapy have greatly prolonged posttransplant survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, both the posttransplant physiologic condition and immunosuppressive therapy affect the patient's natural immunity, resulting in accumulating and more problematic complications. Three years after a male patient with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent living-donor liver transplant, he presented with esophageal metastasis from recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. This is an extremely rare complication, perhaps with an ominous prognosis, and, to the best of our knowledge, the first such case to be published in the English literature.

2014 KLCSG-NCC Korea Practice Guideline for the Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

The guideline for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was first developed in 2003 and revised in 2009 by the Korean Liver Cancer Study Group and the National Cancer Center, Korea. Since then, many studies on HCC have been carried out in Korea and other countries. In particular, a substantial body of knowledge has been accumulated on diagnosis, staging, and treatment specific to Asian characteristics, especially Koreans, prompting the proposal of new strategies. Accordingly, the new guideline presented herein was developed on the basis of recent evidence and expert opinions. The primary targets of this guideline are patients with suspicious or newly diagnosed HCC. This guideline provides recommendations for the initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed HCC.

2014 Korean Liver Cancer Study Group-National Cancer Center Korea practice guideline for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma

The guideline for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was first developed in 2003 and revised in 2009 by the Korean Liver Cancer Study Group and the National Cancer Center, Korea. Since then, many studies on HCC have been carried out in Korea and other countries. In particular, a substantial body of knowledge has been accumulated on diagnosis, staging, and treatment specific to Asian characteristics, especially Koreans, prompting the proposal of new strategies. Accordingly, the new guideline presented herein was developed on the basis of recent evidence and expert opinions. The primary targets of this guideline are patients with suspicious or newly diagnosed HCC. This guideline provides recommendations for the initial treatment of patients with newly diagnosed HCC.

The role of adult living donor liver transplantation and recent advances

Twenty years since the first cases were described, adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT) is now considered a valid option to expand the donor pool in view of the ongoing shortage of organs and the high waiting list mortality rate. Despite the rapid evolution and acceptance of this complex process of donation and transplantation in clinical practice, the indications, outcome, ethical considerations and quality and safety aspects continue to evolve based on new data from large cohort studies. This article reviews the surgical and clinical advances in the field of liver transplantation, focusing on technical refinements and discussing the issues that may lead to a further expansion of this complex surgical procedure and the role of ALDLT.

Optimal tailored screening protocol after living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

The indication for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is expanding in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). Early detection and effective management of recurrence has become an important issue in LDLT for HCC. This study aimed to find an optimal screening protocol in terms of screening interval and screening tools by analyzing recurrence pattern after LDLT for HCC. A total of 205 LDLT patients in two centers from February 1999 to October 2010 was reviewed. Recurrence appeared in 55 cases. Six risk factors for recurrence were identified: preoperative alpha-fetoprotein >400, Edmonson grade 3 or 4, tumor size >7 cm, tumor number ≥7, minimal tumor necrosis in the transarterial chemoembolization group and positive micro-vascular invasion. Four groups with different ranges of index scores showed different recurrence-free survival and median time to recurrence. Group I showed low and late recurrence. Groups II and III showed linearly increased rate of recurrence until 18 months. Group IV showed very early recurrence within 6 months. Across the groups, extra-hepatic recurrence developed in more than 40% of cases and multi-organ recurrence rate was 20%. The screening interval should be different based on the risk of recurrence. Screening should include work-up for extra-hepatic recurrence as well as intra-hepatic recurrence.

Living-donor vs deceased-donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

With the increasing prevalence of living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), some authors have reported a potential increase in the HCC recurrence rates among LDLT recipients compared to deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) recipients. The aim of this review is to encompass current opinions and clinical reports regarding differences in the outcome, especially the recurrence of HCC, between LDLT and DDLT. While some studies report impaired recurrence - free survival and increased recurrence rates among LDLT recipients, others, including large database studies, report comparable recurrence - free survival and recurrence rates between LDLT and DDLT. Studies supporting the increased recurrence in LDLT have linked graft regeneration to tumor progression, but we found no association between graft regeneration/initial graft volume and tumor recurrence among our 125 consecutive LDLTs for HCC cases. In the absence of a prospective study regarding the use of LDLT vs DDLT for HCC patients, there is no evidence to support the higher HCC recurrence after LDLT than DDLT, and LDLT remains a reasonable treatment option for HCC patients with cirrhosis.

Living donor liver transplantation does not increase tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma compared to deceased donor transplantation

AIM: To compare the recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of hepatitis B virus (HBV)-positive hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT).

METHODS: We retrospectively collected clinical data from 408 liver cancer patients from February 1999 to September 2012. We used the chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test to analyze the characteristics of LDLT and DDLT. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to compare the RFS and OS in HCC.

RESULTS: Three hundred sixty HBV-positive patients (276 DDLT and 84 LDLT) were included in this study. The mean follow-up time was 27.1 mo (range 1.1-130.8 mo). One hundred eighty-five (51.2%) patients died during follow-up. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS rates for LDLT were 85.2%, 55.7%, and 52.9%, respectively; for DDLT, the RFS rates were 73.2%, 49.1%, and 45.3% (P = 0.115). The OS rates were similar between the LDLT and DDLT recipients, with 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of 81.8%, 49.5%, and 43.0% vs 69.5%, 43.0%, and 38.3%, respectively (P = 0.30). The outcomes of HCC according to the Milan criteria after LDLT and DDLT were not significantly different (for LDLT: 1-, 3-, and 5-year RFS: 94.7%, 78.7%, and 78.7% vs 89.2%, 77.5%, and 74.5%, P = 0.50; for DDLT: 86.1%, 68.8%, and 68.8% vs 80.5%, 62.2%, and 59.8% P = 0.53).

CONCLUSION: The outcomes of LDLT for HCC are not worse compared to the outcomes of DDLT. LDLT does not increase tumor recurrence of HCC compared to DDLT.

Hepatic venous congestion in living donor grafts in liver transplantation: is there an effect on hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence?

A certain degree of graft congestion in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) using a right liver graft may be inevitable because of the mismatch between the inflow and outflow structures of the liver. The subsequent inflammatory reaction and rapid regeneration of the graft have been suggested as causes of tumor recurrence. Therefore, we investigated the influence of graft congestion on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after LDLT. Two hundred eighty-nine LDLT patients for HCC within the University of California San Francisco criteria between November 1999 and February 2012 were investigated. Patients were assigned to groups on the basis of the degree of congestion (≤10% for group A and >10% for group B), which was determined by 3-dimensional reconstruction of posttransplant multidetector helical computed tomography within 2 weeks. Perioperative characteristics, regeneration rates after 6 months, and recurrence rates were compared between the groups, and a multivariate analysis of the influence of congestion on tumor recurrence was subsequently completed. No significant difference in demographics was found. Group B had more elevated peak posttransplant levels of aspartate aminotransferase (296.26 versus 227.53, P = 0.05), alanine aminotransferase (382.91 versus 276.98, P = 0.04), and highly selective C-reactive protein (5.41 versus 3.55, P < 0.001); a higher noncongestive section regeneration rate (25.8% versus 13.6%, P = 0.012); and a higher recurrence rate (30.4% versus 9.7%, P = 0.01) than group A. Graft congestion > 10% [hazard ratio (HR) = 3.10, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.15-8.35, P = 0.03], microvascular invasion (HR = 5.43, 95% CI = 2.04-14.44, P < 0.01), and an alpha-fetoprotein level > 200 IU/L (HR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.10-8.03, P = 0.03) were significantly related to tumor recurrence. Liver congestion may promote the recurrence of HCC after LDLT; therefore, it should be minimized.

Living donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation has become an established treatment for cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the Milan criteria are now widely accepted and applied as an indication for deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) in Western countries. In contrast, however, due to the severe organ shortage, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is mainstream in Japan and in other Asian countries.

SUMMARY

Unlike DDLT, LDLT is not limited by the restrictions imposed by the nationwide allocation system, and the indication for LDLT in patients with HCC often depends on institutional or case-by-case considerations, balancing the burden on the donor, the operative risk, and the overall survival benefit for the recipient. Accumulating data from a nationwide survey as well as individual center experience indicate that extending the Milan criteria is warranted.

KEY MESSAGES

While the promotion of DDLT should be intensified in Japan and other Asian countries, LDLT will continue to be a mainstay for the treatment of HCC in cirrhotic patients.