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Lozanovski VJ, Ramouz A, Aminizadeh E, Al-Saegh SAH, Khajeh E, Probst H, Picardi S, Rupp C, Chang DH, Probst P, Mehrabi A. Prognostic role of selection criteria for liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a network meta-analysis. BJS Open 2022; 6:6536147. [PMID: 35211739 PMCID: PMC8874238 DOI: 10.1093/bjsopen/zrab130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are selected for transplantation if they have a low tumour burden and low risk of recurrence. The morphometric Milan criteria have been the cornerstone for patient selection, but dynamic morphological and biological tumour characteristics surfaced as an encouraging tool to refine the selection of patients with HCC and to support the expansion of the Milan criteria. The outcomes of the most prevalent models that select patients with HCC for liver transplantation were analysed in this study, which aimed to identify the selection model that offered the best recurrence-free and overall survival after transplantation. METHODS Studies that compared Milan, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), up-to-seven (UPTS), alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), and MetroTicket 2.0 (MT2) models were included. One-year, 3-year, and 5-year recurrence-free and overall survival rates of patients selected for transplantation using different models were analysed. RESULTS A total of 60 850 adult patients with HCC selected for liver transplantation using Milan, UCSF, UPTS, AFP, or MT2 criteria were included. Patients selected for transplantation using the MT2 model had the highest 1-, 3-, and 5-year recurrence-free survival. In addition, patients selected for transplantation using MT2 criteria had the best 1- and 3-year overall survival, whereas patients selected for transplantation using the Milan criteria had the best 5-year overall survival rates. CONCLUSION The MT2 model offered the best post-transplant outcomes in patients with HCC, highlighting the importance of considering tumour morphology and biology when selecting patients with HCC for liver transplantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir J Lozanovski
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Liver Cancer Center Heidelberg (LCCH), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ali Ramouz
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ehsan Aminizadeh
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sadeq Ali-Hasan Al-Saegh
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elias Khajeh
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Heike Probst
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Picardi
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Rupp
- Liver Cancer Center Heidelberg (LCCH), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Internal Medicine IV, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - De-Hua Chang
- Liver Cancer Center Heidelberg (LCCH), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Radiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Pascal Probst
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,The Study Center of the German Surgical Society (SDGC), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Arianeb Mehrabi
- Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Liver Cancer Center Heidelberg (LCCH), University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Sustained Complete Response after Biological Downstaging in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: XXL-Like Prioritization for Liver Transplantation or "Wait and See" Strategy? Cancers (Basel) 2021; 13:cancers13102406. [PMID: 34067521 PMCID: PMC8156031 DOI: 10.3390/cancers13102406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The XXL trial has recently shown that biological downstaging is an effective strategy to also allow liver transplantation into patients with more advanced hepatocellular carcinoma without alternative curative options. Some potential limits of the XXL downstaging protocol are (a) the rather high downstaging failure rate (i.e., 32%), and (b) the additional prioritization of transplantation for patients with a potential good prognosis without transplant, i.e., those obtaining a complete response to downstaging. In this study, we showed that, using aggressive surgical downstaging, it is possible to considerably decrease the downstaging failure rate. Moreover, we showed that it is possible to avoid an immediate prioritization of transplantation for patients with a sustained complete response to downstaging by applying a “wait and see” policy. This policy seems to spare a relevant number of organs without worsening patient outcome. Abstract The XXL trial represents the first prospective validation of “biological downstaging” in liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to compare the Padua downstaging protocol to the XXL protocol in terms of downstaging failure rates and patient outcome. A total of 191 patients undergoing aggressive surgical downstaging and potentially eligible for LT from 2012 to 2018 at our center were retrospectively selected according to XXL trial criteria. Unlike the XXL trial, patients with a complete response to downstaging did not receive any prioritization for LT. Downstaging failure was defined as stable progressive disease or post-treatment mortality. The statistical method of “matching-adjusted indirect comparison” was used to match the study group to the XXL population. Downstaging failure rate was considerably lower in the study group than in the XXL trial (12% vs. 32%, d value = |0.683|). The survival curves of our LT group (n = 68) overlapped with those of the LT-XXL group (p = 0.846). Survival curves of non-LT candidates with a sustained complete response (n = 64) were similar to those of transplanted patients (p = 0.281). Our study represents a validation of the current Padua and Italian policies of denying rapid prioritization to patients with complete response to downstaging. Such a policy seems to spare organs without worsening patient outcome.
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