Orthotopic liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. Factors affecting long-term patient survival

Liver Transplantation for Pediatric Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Liver transplantation (LT) is the only potentially curative option for children with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We performed a systematic review of the MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases (end-of-search date: 31 July 2020). Our outcomes were overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). We evaluated the effect of clinically relevant variables on outcomes using the Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test. Sixty-seven studies reporting on 245 children undergoing LT for HCC were included. DFS data were available for 150 patients and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 92.3%, 89.1%, and 84.5%, respectively. Sixty of the two hundred and thirty-eight patients (25.2%) died over a mean follow up of 46.8 ± 47.4 months. OS data were available for 222 patients and the 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 87.9%, 78.8%, and 74.3%, respectively. Although no difference was observed between children transplanted within vs. beyond Milan criteria (p = 0.15), superior OS was observed in children transplanted within vs. beyond UCSF criteria (p = 0.02). LT can yield favorable outcomes for pediatric HCC beyond Milan but not beyond UCSF criteria. Further research is required to determine appropriate LT selection criteria for pediatric HCC.

Systematic review: the role of liver transplantation in the management of hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Liver transplantation offers a potential cure for this otherwise devastating disease. The selection of the most appropriate candidates is paramount in an era of graft shortage.

AIM

To review systematically the role of liver transplantation in the management of HCC in current clinical practice.

METHODS

An electronic literature search using PUBMED (1980-2010) was performed. Search terms included HCC, hepatoma, liver cancer, and liver transplantation.

RESULTS

Liver transplantation is a highly successful treatment for HCC, in patients within Milan criteria (MC), defined as a solitary tumour ≤50 mm in diameter or ≤3 tumours ≤30 mm in diameter in the absence of extra-hepatic or vascular spread. Other eligibility criteria for liver transplantation are also used in clinical practice, such as the University of California, San Francisco criteria, with outcomes comparable to MC. Loco-regional therapies have a role in the bridging treatment of HCC by minimising wait-list drop-out secondary to tumour progression. Beyond MC, encouraging results have been demonstrated for patients with down-staged tumours. Post-liver transplantation, there is no evidence to support a specific immunosuppressive regimen. In the context of an insufficient cadaveric donor pool to meet demand, the role of adult living donation may be increasingly important.

CONCLUSIONS

Liver transplantation offers a curative therapy for selected patients with HCC. The optimisation of eligibility criteria is paramount to ensure that maximum benefit is accrued. Although wait-list therapies have been incorporated into clinical practice, additional high quality data are required to support this strategy.

Current management of hepatocellular cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver, being the fifth most frequent cancer worldwide. It usually occurs in the setting of chronic liver disease and has a poor prognosis if untreated. Following the diagnosis, this disease requires multidisciplinary management. Orthotopic liver transplantation is theoretically the best treatment for early, unresectable HCC. However, the major practical obstacle is the extreme shortage of organs, which makes this a practical option only in selected patients. In this report we describe new advancements in diagnosis, classification, and treatment that have emerged in the field of HCC in recent years.

Current management strategy of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) still remains a considerable challenge for surgeons. Surgery, including liver transplantation, is the most important therapeutic approach for patients with this disease. HCC is frequently diagnosed at advanced stages and has a poor prognosis with a high mortality rate even when surgical resection has been considered potentially curative. This brief report summarizes the current status of the management of this malignancy and includes a short description of new pharmacological approaches in HCC treatment.

Outcomes of transplantation in children with primary hepatic malignancy

HBL and HCC are the most common hepatic malignancies in children. The role of OLT in children with HCC is still a matter of debate. The aim of this study was to review our experience of OLT for HCC. Medical records of patients (<18 yr) who underwent OLT for HCC were reviewed and compared to children who underwent OLT for HBL and for indications other than malignancy. There were 25 patients: HCC (10 cases) and HBL (15 cases). The actuarial patient survival for HCC at one and five yr was 100% and 83.3%, for the HBL group the survival was 86.7% at both one and five yr, and for indications (n=377) other than malignancy the patient survival for pediatric OLT at our center was 87.7% and 84.7% at one and five yr, respectively. The actuarial recurrence free survival at five yr was 83.3% for HCC and 66.8% for HBL. In conclusion, OLT is a good therapeutic modality for children with HCC and HBL.

Single-center experience on liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma arising in alcoholic cirrhosis: results and ethical issues

BACKGROUND

Liver transplantation is currently recognized as the optimal treatment for both early hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of cirrhosis (HCC) as well as for alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with HCC and ALD in the absence of viral hepatitic infections.

METHODS

Twelve recipients were transplanted with a diagnosis of HCC and ALD in the absence of viral hepatitis during a 6-year period. Nine received deceased donor livers, and 3 live donor grafts. Our results were compared to those obtained by a search of the world literature.

RESULTS

The postoperative course was uneventful in all but one patient. All recipients experienced a good quality of life postoperatively. Three-year overall and recurrence-free survival rates were 82 and 73%, respectively. Nine patients are currently alive, after a median follow-up of 29 months.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to evaluate liver transplantation for HCC in ALD. Although outcomes are excellent, the evaluation of patients with ALD and HCC constitutes a challenging topic in transplantation surgery, especially when live liver donation is considered. An interdisciplinary structured approach is recommended, with special emphasis on ethical considerations.

Hilar lymph nodes sampling at the time of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: to do or not to do? Meta-analysis to determine the impact of hilar lymph nodes metastases on tumor recurrence and survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing liver transplantation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of tumor-positive hilar lymph nodes (LN) on tumor recurrence and survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing liver transplantation (LT). A computer search of the Medline database was carried out. The outcome of patients with positive hilar LN (study group) was compared with that of patients with negative LN (reference group). Five clinical studies evaluating tumor recurrence after LT for HCC according to hilar LN status were identified. Five further clinical studies evaluated patients' survival in reference to LN metastases. The test of heterogeneity for each comparison revealed no significant differences (exact P=0.4638). A significant correlation between tumor-positive LN and tumor recurrence was shown (exact estimation of common odds ratio by 10.44, 95% confidence interval of 3.431-38.59). Furthermore, data analyses using the Fisher-combination test regarding patient survival in the two groups showed a statistical difference (P<0.0001). The negative prognostic value of hilar LN metastasis for both tumor recurrence and survival was confirmed by this analysis. Given the ever-present diagnostic dilemma associated with enlarged hilar LN, especially in hepatitis C-positive patients, hilar LN sampling during LT for HCC could better define patients at risk.

Liver Transplantation and Incidentally Found Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Liver Explants: Need for a New Definition?

BACKGROUND

"Incidentally" identified hepatocellular carcinoma (iHCC) in liver explants after liver transplantation (LTx) is a frequently reported finding, which is characterized with a good prognosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of patients with these tumors in our series and in literature reports, and to compare their prognosis to that of HCC diagnosed preoperatively.

METHODS

From April 1998 to December 2003, 432 patients underwent deceased-donor LTx at our center for nonmalignant indications. An additional 31 patients with a preoperative known HCC (pkHCC) received deceased-donor grafts. A literature search was performed intending to estimate the incidence of iHCC in liver explants and the outcome after LTx.

RESULTS

iHCC was found in 5 of the 432 patients. All five patients are currently alive without evidence of tumor recurrence after a median follow-up of 43 months. On the other hand, in the group of the 31 patients with pkHCC, 22 of them are at the moment alive in a median follow-up of 28 months. When comparing the two groups, no difference in survival could be found (P=0.1419 in log-rank test). Literature reports of 705 instances with iHCC over the past 20 years showed a statistical "better survival" in only 24 cases.

CONCLUSION

Literature reports showed a remarkable "deviation" of the expected tumor characteristics for the iHCC. Obviously, this is because of a widely characterization of iHCC, including also tumors which are rather undetected HCC during the waiting time to LTx. A more precise definition for the iHCC is needed.

The Outcome of Surgical Resection Versus Assignment to the Liver Transplant Waiting List for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Optimal management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is controversial. This study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of tumor resection versus assignment to a liver transplant waiting list (WL) in patients with HCC.

METHODS

Prospectively collected patient data from 1970 to 1997 on 313 patients with HCC were retrospectively analyzed by multivariate analysis to determine the effect of liver disease, method of treatment, and tumor-related factors on survival.

RESULTS

A total of 199 patients underwent nonsurgical palliative care (PC), 81 underwent partial liver resection (LR), and 33 were assigned to a liver transplant WL, of which 22 received a donor liver. A total of 91%, 53%, and 91% of the patients had cirrhotic livers in the PC, LR, and WL groups, respectively (P < .001). In the LR group, the absence of a tumor capsule (P < .0001) and a poorly differentiated tumor (P = .027) were both adverse prognostic factors. In the WL group, hepatitis B (P = .02) and American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor stage III (P = .019) were adverse prognostic factors. The 3-year survival rates were 4%, 33%, and 38% for the PC, LR, and WL patients, respectively (P < .0001). The 3-year survival rate in the LR patients was 51% in patients without cirrhosis and 15% in patients with cirrhosis (P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with locally unresectable tumors, distant disease, or both will continue to receive PC. Patients assigned to liver transplant WLs run the risk of not receiving a donor liver, in which case their survival is predicted to be poor. Survival after resection in a group of patients with advanced tumors is worse than that after transplantation; however, shortages of donor livers presently preclude transplantation in this population of patients.

Predictors of survival after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with Hepatitis C

The efficacy of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not well defined. This study examines the variables that may determine the outcome of OLT for HCC in HCV patients. From 1990 to 1999, 463 OLTs were performed for HCV cirrhosis. Of these patients, 67 with concurrent HCC were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses considered the following variables: gender, pTNM stage, tumor size, number of nodules, vascular invasion, incidental tumors, adjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative chemoembolization, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tumor marker, lobar distribution, and histological grade. Overall OLT survival of HCV patients diagnosed with concomitant HCC was significantly lower when compared to patients who underwent OLT for HCV alone at 1, 3, and 5 years (75%, 71%, and 55% versus 84%, 76%, and 75%, respectively; P < 0.01). Overall survival of patients with stage I HCC was significantly better than patients with stage II, III, or IV (P < .05). Eleven of 67 patients developed tumor recurrence. Sites of recurrence included transplanted liver (5), lung (5), and bone (1). Twenty-four of 67 patients (36%) died during the follow-up time. Causes of deaths included recurrent HCC in 8 of 24 patients (12%) and recurrent HCV in 3 of 24 patients (4.5%), whereas 13 (19.5%) patients died from causes that were unrelated to HCV or HCC. Both univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that pTNM status (I versus II, III, and IV; P < .05) was a reliable prognostic indicator for patient survival. Presence of vascular invasion (P = .0001) and advanced pTNM staging (P = .038) increased risk of recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that pretransplant chemoembolization and adjuvant chemotherapy reduced risk of death after OLT in HCC recipients. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of OLT for patients with HCC in a large cohort of chronic HCV patients. Advanced tumor stage, and particularly vascular invasion, are poor prognostic indicators for tumor recurrence. Early pTNM stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, and preoperative chemoembolization were associated with positive outcomes for patients who underwent OLT for concomitant HCV and HCC.

Current status of liver transplantation for hepatocellular cancer

The incidence of hepatocellular cancer is increasing in the United States and is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Traditionally, the gold standard treatment for hepatocellular cancer has been surgical resection, but most patients were not suitable candidates due to advanced disease. Other treatments include locally ablative techniques (cryosurgery, radiofrequency ablation and various injection therapies), chemotherapeutic options and rarely, radiation therapies. In the 1980s, liver transplant emerged as the treatment of choice for end-stage liver disease and also became an option for patients with hepatocellular cancer. When comparing liver transplant with resection in retrospective studies, liver transplant patients had better survival and reduced recurrence. However, not all patients with hepatocellular cancer will be candidates for liver transplant. Size, stage, and histological grade of tumor all affect prognosis after transplant. Use of chemotherapeutic treatments and locally ablative techniques may be beneficial prior to liver transplant, but larger controlled studies are needed. Liver transplant is the most effective treatment for hepatocellular cancer in the subgroup of smaller tumors, but ultimately we are limited by the number of available donors. Future goals in this area include increasing the donor pool and determining optimal management to allow patients to wait for an appropriate donor.

Transplantation for liver and biliary cancer

The early survival of patients transplanted for liver and biliary cancer is excellent, but the overall mid- to long-term survival is poor. In an era of severe donor organ shortage, it is not justified to allocate donor liver to patients with a suboptimal outcome. Patients with non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma in a non-cirrhotic liver should not be assigned to liver transplantation. Although patients with the fibrolamellar variant have a somewhat better outlook, they are still likely to recur, and the young age of many of these patients is likely to overwhelm any rational approach. The results of transplantation for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma in a cirrhotic liver are similar to those achieved with benign disease. The inclusion of such cases as a group is justified, but attempts should be made to resect tumors whenever possible and to not assign the entire group to transplantation as the first and only option. The value of pre- and postoperative adjuvant therapy for this group is still under debate, but the present waiting period is so long that some form of therapy to slow growth and prevent dissemination of tumor cells is probably required. The results following transplantation for cholangiocarcinoma can only be regarded as dismal, and the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma is a contraindication for the procedure. Liver transplantation has a definite place in the treatment of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and unresectable chemo-responsive hepatoblastoma when confined to the liver, and in a limited number of metastatic neuroendocrine tumors.

An analysis of 412 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma at a Western center

OBJECTIVE

Using a large single-institution experience at a Western referral center, the authors examine partial hepatectomy as treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and relate treatment outcomes to clinical parameters, including the etiology of underlying cirrhosis.

METHODS

Four hundred and twelve patients seen between December 1991 and January 1998 were identified in a prospective database. Data about the surgical procedure, perioperative complications, and long-term outcome were examined.

RESULTS

One hundred twenty-six patients did not have underlying cirrhosis. Of the 286 patients with cirrhosis, 119 were the result of hepatitis B, 39 hepatitis C, 36 both B and C, 43 ethanol abuse, and the remainder other causes. Two hundred forty-three patients underwent surgical exploration, and 154 patients underwent hepatic resection. Seven (4.5%) died from the surgery. One hundred forty-three patients were treated by ablative methods. Patients with cirrhosis had smaller tumors but nevertheless had a lower resectability rate. Neither the presence of cirrhosis nor the etiology of the cirrhosis altered the perioperative morbidity or mortality rate. The greatest determinant of long-term outcome was resectability. The size of the lesion, an alpha-fetoprotein level >2000 ng/ml, and vascular invasion were also determinants of poor outcome. The presence of cirrhosis was a detrimental factor when analysis was stratified for size of tumor. The cause of cirrhosis did not influence the long-term outcome. The 5-year survival rate was 57% for patients with resected lesions <5 cm and 32% for patients with tumors >10 cm.

CONCLUSION

Partial hepatectomy is safe, effective, and potentially curative therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma. The presence of cirrhosis did not affect the surgical mortality rate but did affect the long-term survival rate. The cause of cirrhosis did not influence outcome. As treatment for small hepatocellular carcinomas, partial hepatectomy produces results similar to those of transplantation. For patients with large tumors who are poor candidates for transplantation, resection results in long-term survival in one third of patients.

Resection versus transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is responsible for more than 1 million deaths per year worldwide and thus remains a challenging medical problem. It causes few or no symptoms and the tumour frequently reaches an enormous size by the time of diagnosis in countries where screening is seldom used. It is generally resistant to commercially available anti-neoplastic agents and radiation therapy. The principal treatment continues to be resection, either partial or complete, with liver transplantation. However, less than one-third of patients are surgical candidates for either resection or transplantation at the time of clinical presentation. This review will address the results observed following resection or transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a registry report of the impact of tumor characteristics on outcome

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study from the International Registry of Hepatic Tumors in Liver Transplantation is to analyze the impact of tumor characteristics on tumor recurrence and patient survival.

SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA

Many attempts have been made to identify patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who can be treated successfully with liver transplantation. Studies presented to date lack enough patients to make reported findings universally accepted. In lieu of a prospective, randomized multicenter trial, in 1992 an International Registry of Hepatic Tumors in Liver Transplantation was established to collect data on these patients, their tumors, and their treatment.

METHODS

The registry mails out new patient registration forms and patient follow-up forms twice yearly to all known liver transplant programs. Fifty-three programs in 21 countries have supplied information on 553 patients with tumors. Four hundred ten patients had hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 12 had the fibrolamellar variant of HCC (FLL-HCC). These 422 patients were investigated for this study. One hundred sixty-nine of these (40.0%) were classified as "incidental tumors." For the remaining patients, the tumor was known before the transplant. Twenty-six and eight tenths percent of the patients had a history of hepatitis B and 32.7% had a history of hepatitis C.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety patients (46.7%) have died, 99 free of tumor and 91 with tumor. Death was tumor related in 90 patients. Of the 232 patients now living, 215 are free of tumor and 17 have tumor. The most common sites for recurrence are the transplanted liver (41.7%) and the lungs (28.7%). The overall patient survival was 72.2% at 1 year, 63.4% at 2 years, 47.4% at 4 years, and 44.4% at 5 years. Using univariate analysis, incidental tumors (p = 0.3107), FLL-HCC (p = 0.0704), multifocal tumor (p = 0.5464), and bilobar tumor (p = 0.1024) were not found to have an influence on patient survival. Four factors, tumor size greater than 5 cm (p = 0.0221), vascular invasion (p = 0.0005), positive nodes (p = 0.0014), and histologic grade (p = 0.0001) had a profound impact on patient survival. Using Cox multiple regression analysis, only histologic grade had a negative impact on overall patient survival (p = 0.0009) and for patients with known tumors (p = 0.0003). For incidental tumors, patient survival was negatively influenced by multifocality (p = 0.0021) and an age older than 60 years (p = 0.0008). Tumor histologic grade (p = 0.0134) and size (>5 cm) (p = 0.0133) were significantly linked to recurrence-free patient survival.

CONCLUSIONS

This analysis has documented three tumor characteristics that strongly impact patient survival after transplantation for HCC. In addition to tumor size greater than 5 cm and the presence of vascular invasion (which confirm several, single-center studies), this registry notes that a poorly differentiated HCC may be a contraindication for transplantation. A liver tumor's histologic grade may be important information to have when these patients are considered for liver transplantation.

Appraisal of transplantation for malignant tumours of the liver with special reference to early stage hepatocellular carcinoma

The enthusiasm to treat or even cure patients with unresectable hepatobiliary malignancy by total hepatectomy and liver transplantation has considerably diminished. Nowadays, due to organ-donor shortage, patients have to be selected with predictable likelihood for long-term survival. According to own experience and a review of the literature, liver transplantation may be considered in unresectable early stage hepatocellular and proximal bile duct carcinoma, the uncommon entities fibrolamellar carcinoma, epithelioid haemangioendothelioma and hepatoblastoma as well as in liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumours. At present, advanced stages of hepatocellular and proximal bile duct carcinoma, as well as intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma, haemangiosarcoma and metastases from nonendocrine tumours, should be excluded from transplantation. In order to cure the cancer-bearing disease, liver transplantation might be the ideal treatment for small but still resectable hepatocellular carcinoma with underlying cirrhosis. Our retrospective comparison of survival after resection and transplantation for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma does not reveal a significant difference. Although a tendency has been observed in favour of transplantation, resection of these tumours is still justifiable, not least because of donor organ shortage.

Pulmonary nodules in liver transplant recipients

Pulmonary nodules present a diagnostic dilemma in liver transplant recipients because of the broad differential diagnosis involved. Eleven of 155 (7.1%) liver transplant recipients at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Pittsburgh, developed pulmonary nodules. The underlying etiology included aspergillosis (3 cases), cryptococcosis (2), metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma (1), posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (1), Staphylococcus aureus (1), squamous cell carcinoma (1), adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site (1), and undifferentiated carcinoma (1). A review of the literature revealed 22 other liver transplant recipients with pulmonary nodules. There appears to be a definite relationship between time since transplantation and etiology of the nodule. Aspergillosis and bacterial infections appear early (within the first month), whereas nocardiosis, coccidiomycosis, tuberculosis, and cryptococcosis occur from 3 to 24 months posttransplantation. Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma is a relatively common cause of pulmonary nodule and appears from 2 months to 2 years posttransplantation. Detection of skin lesions (indicating nocardiosis or cryptococcosis) and positive serologic tests may further narrow the diagnosis. However, radiographic appearances of nodules of differing etiology are relatively nonspecific, necessitating biopsy in virtually all cases.