A 2020 update on liver transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma

Sequential living donor liver transplantation after liver resection optimizes outcomes for patients with high-risk hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. While liver transplantation (LT) provides the best long-term survival, it is constrained by organ scarcity and strict criteria. Liver resection (LR) is often the initial treatment for patients with solitary tumors and preserved liver function. The high recurrence rates associated with LR has prompted the exploration of sequential living donor liver transplantation (seqLDLT) after LR as a strategy for HCC patients with high-risk of recurrence.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 27 adult patients who underwent seqLDLT after LR for HCC at Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital (KCGMH) between June 1994 and December 2023. Patients were selected based on high-risk histopathological features post-LR or as part of downstaging strategy. Outcomes measured included overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

Among 765 HCC patients who underwent LDLT, 204 received LR before LDLT, and 27 underwent seqLDLT. Five patients (19%) underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) following LR as a downstaging strategy while the rest received seqLDLT as a preemptive strategy. The median age was 53.5 years with 85% males. Chronic hepatitis B was the predominant underlying disease (74%). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS and DFS rates were 100%, 96.0%, 96.0% and 100%, 96.2%, 96.2%, respectively, with two patients experiencing HCC recurrence. One patient died from HCC recurrence. High-risk histopathological features included microvascular invasion (52%), satellite nodules (15%), multiple tumors (26%), tumors > 5 cm (19%), and a total tumor diameter > 10 cm (7%).

CONCLUSIONS

SeqLDLT offers a promising, tailored approach for managing HCC with adverse histopathologic features. Combining seqLDLT, downstaging strategies, and multidisciplinary treatments can achieve satisfactory OS and DFS in carefully selected patients, highlighting the need for refined criteria to identify the best candidates.

Intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma: new horizons and prospects for our patients

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, significant progress has been made in treatment strategies for intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is a highly heterogeneous patient population requiring tailored therapies based on tumor characteristics.

METHODS

We conducted a comprehensive review of treatment approaches for intermediate-stage HCC, highlighting the evolution of treatment options over time. While chemoembolization remains the standard therapy for many patients, it has advanced to include combinations with systemic therapies, known as combination therapy, which is becoming the new standard of care for this group.

CONCLUSION

Based on our clinical and research experience, combination therapy is increasingly recognized as the preferred first-line treatment for intermediate-stage HCC patients. This approach allows most patients to be candidates for subsequent curative-intent treatments, while a smaller number will require palliative care.

Clinical outcomes of DEB-TACE in locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma: A 5-year real world experience

PURPOSE

To evaluate outcomes including safety and efficacy of drug-eluting bead trans-arterial chemo-embolization (DEB-TACE) in the treatment of locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (LA-HCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this single-center, retrospective study, we evaluated 471 consecutive patients with LA-HCC who underwent DEB-TACE from 2015 to 2020. Efficacy of DEB-TACE was assessed based on the imaging response using the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST) and the biochemical response using alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels at 1-month follow-up. Adverse events, progression free survival (PFS), and overall survival were also examined.

RESULTS

HCC distribution was bilobar in 49% with largest lesion mean size of 4.3 cm ± 3.2, and a majority of patients (46.7%) were Barcelona Club Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage B. Complete radiologic response was achieved in 120 (25.5%) patients, comparable to a reported 28% rate for conventional TACE. Biochemically, 41 (8.7%) patients achieved complete response, and 113 (24%) had a partial response. A total of 59 (12.5%) patients were successfully bridged to liver transplantation. Major adverse events were observed in 3%, while 7.2% experienced post-embolization syndrome. Mean PFS was 6.7 months ± 6.6, and overall survival was 64%, 16.3%, 2.1% at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Based on our real world experience at a single center, DEB-TACE remains the locoregional therapy of choice for LA-HCC due to its favorable safety and efficacy profile.

Innovations in Liver Preservation Techniques for Transplants from Donors after Circulatory Death: A Special Focus on Transplant Oncology

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for end-stage liver disease. Emerging evidence suggests a potential role for liver transplantation in treating liver tumors such as colorectal liver metastases and cholangiocarcinoma. However, due to a limited donor pool, the use of marginal grafts from donation after circulatory death (DCD) donors is increasing to meet demand. Machine perfusion is crucial in this context for improving graft acceptance rates and reducing ischemia-reperfusion injury. Few studies have evaluated the role of machine perfusion in the context of transplant oncology. Perfusion machines can be utilized in situ (normothermic regional perfusion-NRP) or ex situ (hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion), either in combination or as a complement to conventional in situ cold flush and static cold storage. The objective of this analysis is to provide an up-to-date overview of perfusion machines and their function in donation after circulatory death with particular attention to their current and likely potential effects on transplant oncology. A literature review comparing standard cold storage to machine perfusion methods showed that, so far, there is no evidence that these devices can reduce the tumor recurrence rate. However, some evidence suggests that these innovative perfusion techniques can improve graft function, reduce ischemia-reperfusion injury, and, based on this mechanism, may lead to future improvements in cancer recurrence.

Burden of Portal Hypertension Complications Is Greater in Liver Transplant Wait-Listed Registrants with End-Stage Liver Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Impact of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) awaiting liver transplantation (LT) remains poorly defined. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the relationship between T2DM and clinical outcomes among patients with LT waitlist registrants. We hypothesize that the presence of T2DM will be associated with worse clinical outcomes.

METHODS

593 patients adult (age 18 years or older) who were registered for LT between 1/2010 and 1/2017 were included in this retrospective analysis. The impact of T2DM on liver-associated clinical events (LACE), survival, hospitalizations, need for renal replacement therapy, and likelihood of receiving LT were evaluated over a 12-month period. LACE was defined as variceal hemorrhage, hepatic encephalopathy, and ascites. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analysis were used to determine the association between T2DM and clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

The baseline prevalence of T2DM was 32% (n = 191) and patients with T2DM were more likely to have esophageal varices (61% vs. 47%, p = 0.002) and history of variceal hemorrhage (23% vs. 16%, p = 0.03). The presence of T2DM was associated with increased risk of incident ascites (HR 1.91, 95% CI 1.11, 3.28, p = 0.019). Patients with T2DM were more likely to require hospitalizations (56% vs. 49%, p = 0.06), hospitalized with portal hypertension-related complications (22% vs. 14%; p = 0.026), and require renal replacement therapy during their hospitalization. Patients with T2DM were less likely to receive a LT (37% vs. 45%; p = 0.03). Regarding MELD labs, patients with T2DM had significantly lower bilirubin at each follow-up; however, no differences in INR and creatinine were noted.

CONCLUSION

Patients with T2DM are at increased risk of clinical outcomes. This risk is not captured in MELD score, which may potentially negatively affect their likelihood of receiving LT.

Merits and boundaries of the BCLC staging and treatment algorithm: Learning from the past to improve the future with a novel proposal

In this Expert Opinion, we thoroughly analyse the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging and treatment algorithm for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that, since 1999, has standardised HCC management, offering a structured approach for the prognostic evaluation and treatment of patients with HCC. The first part of the article presents the strengths and evolutionary improvements of the BCLC staging system. Nevertheless, both patient characteristics and available treatments have changed in the last two decades, limiting the role of the BCLC criteria for treatment allocation in a growing number of patients. As therapeutic options expand and become more effective, the stage-linked treatment decision-making algorithm may lead to undertreatment and suboptimal outcomes for patients with disease beyond early-stage HCC. Consequently, strict adherence to BCLC criteria is limited in expert centres, particularly for patients diagnosed beyond early-stage HCC. Although the BCLC system remains the benchmark against which other therapeutic frameworks must be judged, the era of precision medicine calls for patient-tailored therapeutic decision-making (by a multidisciplinary tumour board) rather than stage-dictated treatment allocation. Acknowledging this conceptual difference in clinical management, the second part of the article describes a novel "multiparametric therapeutic hierarchy", which integrates a comprehensive assessment of clinical factors, biomarkers, technical feasibility, and resource availability. Lastly, considering the increasing efficacy of locoregional and systemic treatments, the concept of "converse therapeutic hierarchy" is introduced. These treatments can increase the feasibility (conversion approach) and effectiveness (adjuvant approach of systemic therapy) of potentially curative approaches to greatly improve clinical outcomes.

Primary versus Salvage Liver Transplantation after Curative-Intent Resection or Radiofrequency Ablation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Long-Term Oncological Outcomes

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) may be performed ab initio, primary liver transplantation (PLT), or for HCC recurrence after previous treatments such as liver resection (LR) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA), salvage liver transplantation (SLT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the oncological outcomes of SLT vs. PLT. For this, a retrospective study was carried out on patients undergoing liver transplantation for HCC. The outcomes of PLT were compared with those of SLT. The primary outcome was disease-free survival (DFS). The secondary outcomes included overall survival (OS), cancer-specific survival (CSS), and major postoperative complications. A sub-analysis of SLT-LR and SLT-RFA was also performed. In total, 141 patients were included: 96 underwent PLT and 45 SLT. Among the SLT group, 25 patients had undergone previous LR while 20 had had RFA. There were no differences in the major postoperative complications. Unadjusted DFS was significantly longer in the PLT group (p = 0.02), as were OS (p = 0.025) and CSS (p = 0.001). There was no difference in DFS between PLT and SLT-LR groups, while a significant difference was found between the PLT and SLT-RFA groups (p = 0.035). Nonetheless, DFS was no different between the SLT-LR and SLT-RFA groups. PLT appears to offer superior long-term oncological outcomes to SLT. Both SLT-LR and SLT-RFA offer acceptable OS and CSS. Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these results, but the re-direction of grafts and transplant philosophy towards PLT rather than SLT may need to be considered.

Incremental value of radiomics-based heterogeneity to the existing risk criteria in predicting recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to evaluate the association between the radiomics-based intratumoral heterogeneity (ITH) and the recurrence risk in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after liver transplantation (LT), and to assess its incremental to the Milan, University of California San Francisco (UCSF), Metro-Ticket 2.0, and Hangzhou criteria.

METHODS

A multicenter cohort of 196 HCC patients were investigated. The endpoint was recurrence-free survival (RFS) after LT. A CT-based radiomics signature (RS) was constructed and assessed in the whole cohort and in the subgroups stratified by the Milan, UCSF, Metro-Ticket 2.0, and Hangzhou criteria. The R-Milan, R-UCSF, R-Metro-Ticket 2.0, and R-Hangzhou nomograms which combined RS and the four existing risk criteria were developed respectively. The incremental value of RS to the four existing risk criteria in RFS prediction was evaluated.

RESULTS

RS was significantly associated with RFS in the training and test cohorts as well as in the subgroups stratified by the existing risk criteria. The four combined nomograms showed better predictive capability than the existing risk criteria did with higher C-indices (R-Milan [training/test] vs. Milan, 0.745/0.765 vs. 0.677; R-USCF vs. USCF, 0.748/0.767 vs. 0.675; R-Metro-Ticket 2.0 vs. Metro-Ticket 2.0, 0.756/0.783 vs. 0.670; R-Hangzhou vs. Hangzhou, 0.751/0.760 vs. 0.691) and higher clinical net benefit.

CONCLUSIONS

The radiomics-based ITH can predict outcomes and provide incremental value to the existing risk criteria in HCC patients after LT. Incorporating radiomics-based ITH in HCC risk criteria may facilitate candidate selection, surveillance, and adjuvant trial design.

KEY POINTS

• Milan, USCF, Metro-Ticket 2.0, and Hangzhou criteria may be insufficient for outcome prediction in HCC after LT. • Radiomics allows for the characterization of tumor heterogeneity. • Radiomics adds incremental value to the existing criteria in outcome prediction.

Personalised management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a multiparametric therapeutic hierarchy concept

Advances in the surgical and systemic therapeutic landscape of hepatocellular carcinoma have increased the complexity of patient management. A dynamic adaptation of the available staging-based algorithms is required to allow flexible therapeutic allocation. In particular, real-world hepatocellular carcinoma management increasingly relies on factors independent of oncological staging, including patients' frailty, comorbid burden, critical tumour location, multiple liver functional parameters, and specific technical contraindications impacting the delivery of treatment and resource availability. In this Policy Review we critically appraise how treatment allocation strictly based on pretreatment staging features has shifted towards a more personalised treatment approach, in which expert tumour boards assume a central role. We propose an evidence-based framework for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment based on the novel concept of multiparametric therapeutic hierarchy, in which different therapeutic options are ordered according to their survival benefit (ie, from surgery to systemic therapy). Moreover, we introduce the concept of converse therapeutic hierarchy, in which therapies are ordered according to their conversion abilities or adjuvant abilities (ie, from systemic therapy to surgery).

Colorectal Liver Metastases: A Literature Review of Viable Surgical Options with a Special Focus on Microwave Liver Thermal Ablation and Mini-Invasive Approach

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common tumor worldwide and it is characterized in 20-30% of cases by liver involvement, which strongly affects the long-term patient outcome. There are many available therapies for liver colorectal metastases (CRLMs); the current standard of care is represented by liver resection, and when feasible, associated with systemic chemotherapy. Microwave thermal ablation (MWA) is a viable option in unresectable patients or to achieve treatment with a parenchymal spearing approach. A literature review was performed for studies published between January 2000 and July 2022 through a database search using PUBMED/Medline and the Cochrane Collaboration Library with the following MeSH search terms and keywords: microwave, ablation, liver metastases, colorectal neoplasm, and colon liver rectal metastases. The recurrence rate and overall patients' survival were evaluated, showing that laparoscopic MWA is safe and effective to treat CRLMs when resection is not feasible, or a major hepatectomy in fragile patients is necessary. Considering the low morbidity of this procedure, it is a viable option to treat patients with recurrent diseases in the era of effective chemotherapy and multimodal treatments.

The benefit of liver transplant beyond Milan criteria: An analysis using the National Cancer Database

BACKGROUND

Published studies examining the efficacy of liver transplantation in patients presenting with hepatocellular cancer beyond the traditional Milan criteria for liver transplantation have primarily been single institution series with limited ability to compare outcomes to alternative methods of management.

METHODS

We queried the National Cancer Database to identify patients presenting between 2004 and 2016 with histologically confirmed clinical stage III and IVA hepatocellular cancer. Multivariable regression was used to identify factors associated with liver transplantation. Patients undergoing liver transplantation were 1:1 propensity score-matched for age, demographics, comorbid disease, clinical stage, and histologic resection margin to those undergoing surgical resection. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare overall survival profiles for matched cohorts.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and ninety-two patients met inclusion criteria-590 (74.5%) underwent surgical resection and 202 (25.5%) liver transplantation. On adjusted analysis, patients undergoing liver transplantation were less likely to have advanced age (>60 years; odds ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval [0.21-0.71]) and to be of Black race (odds ratio 0.42, 95% confidence interval [0.23-0.73]) or Asian (odds ratio 0.25, 95% confidence interval [0.11-0.53]) ethnicity but were more likely to have advanced (Charlson score >2) comorbidity scores, (odds ratio 2.48, 95% confidence interval [1.58-3.90]) and more likely to have private health insurance (odds ratio 4.17, 95% confidence interval [1.31-18.66]) than those undergoing surgical resection. On Kaplan-Meier analysis of matched cohorts, patients undergoing liver transplantation demonstrated significantly better rates of 5-year overall survival (65.3% vs 26.3%, P < .0001) and longer median overall survival times than those undergoing resection (53.1 ± 2.78 vs 26.9 ± 1.20 months, P < .0001).

CONCLUSION

Liver transplantation offers the potential to be an effective treatment modality in select patients presenting with stage III and IVA hepatocellular cancer.

Pulsed Microwave Liver Ablation: An Additional Tool to Treat Hepatocellular Carcinoma

This study aimed to analyze the outcomes of HCC patients treated with a novel technique-pulsed microwave ablation (MWA)-in terms of safety, local tumor progression (LTP), intrahepatic recurrence (IHR), and overall survival (OS). A total of 126 pulsed microwave procedures have been performed in our center. We included patients with mono- or multifocal HCC (BCLC 0 to D). The LTP at 12 months was 9.9%, with an IHR rate of 27.8% at one year. Survival was 92.0% at 12 months with 29.4% experiencing post-operative complications (28.6% Clavien-Dindo 1-2, 0.8% Clavien-Dindo 3-4). Stratifying patients by BCLC, we achieved BCLC 0, A, B, C, and D survival rates of 100%, 93.2%, 93.3%, 50%, and 100%, respectively, at one year, which was generally superior to or in line with the expected survival rates among patients who are started on standard treatment. The pulsed MWA technique is safe and effective. The technique can be proposed not only in patients with BCLC A staging but also in the highly selected cases of BCLC B, C, and D, confirming the importance of the concept of stage migration. This procedure, especially if performed with a minimally invasive technique (laparoscopic or percutaneous), is repeatable with a short postoperative hospital stay.

Colon Rectal Liver Metastases: The Role of the Liver Transplantation in the Era of the Transplant Oncology and Precision Medicine

The development of liver metastases in colon rectal cancer has a strong impact on the overall survival (OS) of the patient, with a 5-year survival rate of 5% with palliative treatment. Surgical resection combined with pharmacological treatment can achieve a 5-year OS rate of 31-58%. However, in only 20% of patients with colon rectal liver metastases (CRLMs), liver resection is feasible. In highly selected patients, recent trials and studies proved that liver transplantation (LT) for non-resectable CRLM is a surgical option with an excellent long-term OS. The paper aims to review the indications and outcome of LT for CRLMs, with a special focus on immunosuppressive therapy and the management of local and extrahepatic recurrence after LT.

Overview of Prognostic Systems for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and ITA.LI.CA External Validation of MESH and CNLC Classifications

Prognostic assessment in patients with HCC remains an extremely difficult clinical task due to the complexity of this cancer where tumour characteristics interact with degree of liver dysfunction, patient general health status, and a large span of available treatment options. Several prognostic systems have been proposed in the last three decades, both from the Asian and European/North American countries. Prognostic scores, such as the CLIP score and the recent MESH score, have been generated on a solid statistical basis from real life population data, while staging systems, such as the BCLC scheme and the recent CNLC classification, have been created by experts according to recent HCC prognostic evidences from the literature. A third category includes combined prognostic systems that can be used both as prognostic scores and staging systems. A recent example is the ITA.LI.CA prognostic system including either a prognostic score and a simplified staging system. This review focuses first on an overview of the main prognostic systems for HCC classified according to the above three categories, and, second, on a comprehensive description of the methodology required for a correct comparison between different systems in terms of prognostic performance. In this second section the main studies in the literature comparing different prognostic systems are described in detail. Lastly, a formal comparison between the last prognostic systems proposed for each of the above three categories is performed using a large Italian database including 6882 HCC patients in order to concretely apply the comparison rules previously described.