Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence and death following living and deceased donor liver transplantation

Living Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Liver transplantation (LT) offers the best chance of cure for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), as it addresses simultaneously the underlying disease and the tumour. The Milan criteria has been the standard for over 3 decades in selecting patients with HCC who will benefit from LT. While, early studies showed higher recurrence rates for HCC following living donor LT (LDLT), recent series, especially in the past decade have shown LDLT to have equal oncological outcomes as compared to deceased donor LT (DDLT) for HCC, even in patients beyond Milan criteria. Further, the intention to treat analysis data suggests that LDLT may actually provide a survival advantage. In the west, factors such as improved outcomes on par with DDLT, ability to time the LT etc., have led to a steadily increased number of LDLTs being performed for this indication. On the other hand, in the east, given its geo-socio-cultural idiosyncrasies, LDLT has always been the predominant form of LT for HCC, consequently resulting in an increased number of LDLTs being performed for this indication across the world. While LDLT in HCC has its distinctive advantages compared to DDLT, the double equipoise of balancing the donor risk with the recipient outcomes has to be considered while selecting patients for LDLT. There have been several advances including the application of downstaging therapies and the use of biological markers, which have further helped improve outcomes of LDLT for this indication. This review aims to provide an update on the current advances in the field of transplant oncology related to the practice of LDLT in HCC.

Beyond graft function impairment after liver transplantation: the prolonged cold ischemia time impact on recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation-a single-center retrospective study

Purpose

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the malignant tumors responsible for high mortality and recurrence rates. Although liver transplantation (LT) is an effective treatment option for HCC, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a contributor to HCC recurrence after LT. Moreover, prolonged cold ischemia time (CIT) is a risk factor for IRI during LT, and there is insufficient clinical evidence regarding the impact of CIT on HCC recurrence after LT.

Patients and Methods

This retrospective study analyzed 420 patients who underwent LT for HCC between February 2015 and November 2020 at The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University. The duration of CIT was defined as the time from clamping of the donor aorta until portal reperfusion.

Results

A total of 133 patients (31.7%) experienced tumor recurrence after LT, and CIT > 568 min was the independent risk factor for HCC recurrence (OR, 2.406; 95% CI [1.371-4.220]; p = 0.002). Multivariate Cox's regression analysis revealed that the recipients' gender, exceeding Milan criteria, poor differentiation, and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) ≥400 ng/ml in CIT > 568 min group were independent risk factors for disease-free survival. The peak 7-day postoperative alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level (p < 0.001), the peak 7-day postoperative aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (p < 0.001), the peak 7-day postoperative peak total bilirubin (TBIL) level (p = 0.012), and the incidence of early allograft dysfunction (EAD) (p = 0.006) were significantly higher in the CIT > 568 min group compared to the CIT ≤ 568 min group. Moreover, the amount of fresh frozen plasma (FFP) infusion during the operation increased (p = 0.02), and the time of mechanical ventilation postoperative was longer (p = 0.045).

Conclusion

An effective strategy to improve the prognosis is to reduce CIT; this strategy lowers the recurrence of HCC in patients undergoing LT, especially those within the Milan criteria.

Outcomes of liver transplantation for hepatocelluler carcinoma from living donor versus deceased donor within University of Southern California San Francisco criteria: a report from Turkey

Background

Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer with increasing incidence. Liver transplantation (LT) has been accepted as main curative liver cancer treatment. The effectiveness of LDLT as opposed to Deceased Donor Liver Transplant (DDLT) for patients with HCC is still controversial. There is limited data comparing the long-term outcomes of patients undergoing LDLT or DDLT for HCCs that do not meet the Milan criteria.

Methods

We aimed to compare the perioperative and survival outcomes of LDLT with DDLT in HCC patients.Patients underwent LT between January 2012 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 137 patients who met the UCSF criteria. Of these, 75 patients received LDLT and 62 patients DDLT.The primary end points in the present study were oncologic outcomes such as the recurrence rate, disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) of LDLT and DDLT in patients with HCC.

Results

PET-CT SUVmax value, the amount of erythrocyte solution (ES) as blood transfusion of red cells given and the tumor recurrence rate were significantly higher among the deceased patients recurrence, ES, PET-CT SUVmax value and tumor differentiation had significant effects on survival. In the multivariate reduced model, cox regression analysis showed significant effects of recurrence, ES, locoregional treatment response and PET-CT on survival.Albeit not significant, the one-year recurrence rate in the LDLT was similar to that in the DDLT, three- and five-year recurrence rates were higher in DDLT compared to LDLT.

Conclusion

There is less chance of cold ischemia time and better-quality grafts with minimal fatty changes, lower recurrence rates and similar survival rates can be achieved in LDLT compared to DDLT.

Small graft size and hepatocellular carcinoma outcomes in living donor liver transplantation: a retrospective multicentric cohort study

INTRODUCTION

This study examined associations between the graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) for adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) outcomes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data from patients in the Korean Organ Transplantation Registry who underwent LDLT for HCC from 2014 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were categorized using the cutoff GRWR for HCC recurrence determined by an adjusted cubic spline (GRWR <0.7% vs. GRWR ≥0.7%). Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and HCC recurrence were analyzed in the entire and a 1:5 propensity-matched cohort.

RESULTS

The eligible cohort consisted of 2005 LDLT recipients [GRWR <0.7 ( n =59) vs. GRWR ≥0.7 ( n =1946)]. In the entire cohort, 5-year RFS was significantly lower in the GRWR <0.7 than in the GRWR ≥0.7 group (66.7% vs. 76.7%, P =0.019), although HCC recurrence was not different between groups (77.1% vs. 80.7%, P =0.234). This trend was similar in the matched cohort ( P =0.014 for RFS and P =0.096 for HCC recurrence). In multivariable analyses, GRWR <0.7 was an independent risk factor for RFS [adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.89, P =0.012], but the result was marginal for HCC recurrence (aHR 1.61, P =0.066). In the pretransplant tumor burden subgroup analysis, GRWR <0.7 was a significant risk factor for both RFS and HCC recurrence only for tumors exceeding the Milan criteria (aHR 3.10, P <0.001 for RFS; aHR 2.92, P =0.003 for HCC recurrence) or with MoRAL scores in the fourth quartile (aHR 3.33, P <0.001 for RFS; aHR 2.61, P =0.019 for HCC recurrence).

CONCLUSIONS

A GRWR <0.7 potentially leads to lower RFS and higher HCC recurrence after LDLT when the pretransplant tumor burden is high.

Survival benefit of living donor liver transplant for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

With the increasing incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in both the United States and globally, the role of liver transplantation in management continues to be an area of active conversation as it is often considered the gold standard in the treatment of HCC. The use of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and the indications in the setting of malignancy, both generally and in HCC specifically, are frequently debated. In terms of both overall survival and recurrence-free survival, LDLT is at least equivalent to DDLT, especially when performed for disease within Milan criteria. Emerging and compelling evidence suggests that LDLT is superior to DDLT in treating HCC as there is a significant decrease in waitlist mortality. As the oncologic indications for liver transplantation continue to expand and the gap between organ demand and organ availability continues to worsen, high volumes centers should consider using LDLT to shrink the ever-expanding waitlist.

Current role and perspectives of living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: systematic review of the past 20 years

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) poses a significant global health challenge, and liver transplantation (LT) remains the best curative option. Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) emerged as a potential solution to organ scarcity, reducing waitlist times. This comprehensive review explores LDLT practices, focusing on patient selection criteria and oncologic outcomes. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines included 50 studies (2004-2023) with 8062 patients. Data encompassed baseline characteristics, HCC features, and oncologic outcomes. Further analysis categorized results by geography and publication year. Heterogeneity in patient demographics, tumor burden, and transplant characteristics was observed. Recent LDLT series demonstrated a shift towards refined selection criteria, increased neoadjuvant treatment, and improved oncologic outcomes. Geographic disparities revealed unique challenges in Eastern and Western practices. LDLT proves effective for HCC, addressing donor shortages. Evolving practices highlight the importance of refining inclusion criteria and optimizing tumor management. While geographic differences exist, LDLT, when judiciously applied, offers promising outcomes.

No Prognostic Impact of Graft-to-Recipient Weight Ratio on Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence Following Living Donor Liver Transplantation

BACKGROUND The effects of a low graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) on the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are unclear. The present study examined whether the GRWR had an impact on the rate of HCC recurrence following living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). MATERIAL AND METHODS This retrospective observational single-center study included 856 patients who underwent LDLT for HCC between January 2006 and December 2016 at Asan Medical Center and evaluated the association between GRWR and post-transplant tumor recurrence. RESULTS Of the 856 patients who underwent LDLT for HCC, 54 (6.3%), 272 (31.8%), 274 (32.0%), and 256 (29.9%) had GRWR <0.8%, 0.8-0.99%, 1.0-1.19%, and ≥1.2%, respectively. Analysis of all patients revealed that the disease-free survival (DFS; P=0.545) and overall survival (OS; P=0.313) rates were not different in these 4 groups. Subgroups analyses also showed that GRWR did not influence survival rates in patients within (DFS: P=0.398; OS: P=0.676) and beyond (DFS: P=0.602; OS: P=0.649) the Milan criteria, or in patients with alpha-fetoprotein-des-γ-carboxyprothrombin-tumor volume scores <5log (DFS: P=0.633; OS: p=0.285) and ≥5log (DFS: P=0.674; OS: P=0.906). CONCLUSIONS GRWR less than 0.8% did not demonstrate a noteworthy prognostic influence on the oncological results among patients who had undergone LDLT for HCC. High-volume multi-center studies are necessary to validate these findings.

Transplant oncology - Current indications and strategies to advance the field

Liver transplantation (LT) was originally described by Starzl as a promising strategy to treat primary malignancies of the liver. Confronted with high recurrence rates, indications drifted towards non-oncologic liver diseases with LT finally evolving from a high-risk surgery to an almost routine surgical procedure. Continuously improving outcomes following LT and evolving oncological treatment strategies have driven renewed interest in transplant oncology. This is not only reflected by constant refinements to the criteria for LT in patients with HCC, but especially by efforts to expand indications to other primary and secondary liver malignancies. With new patient-centred oncological treatments on the rise and new technologies to expand the donor pool, the field has the chance to come full circle. In this review, we focus on the concept of transplant oncology, current indications, as well as technical and ethical aspects in the context of donor organs as precious resources.

Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Narrative Review and A Glimpse into The Future

Liver transplantation (LT) is a highly effective treatment for carefully selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this review, we explored the development of LT selection criteria and organ allocation policies, comparing original data to underscore their historical progression into the intricate task of quantitatively estimating pre- and post-LT survivals. We emphasized the role of biomarkers such as serum alpha-fetoprotein, Des-gamma-carboxy-prothrombin, circulating tumor cells, and circulating tumor DNA in predicting patient outcomes. Additionally, we examined the transplant-associated survival benefits and the difficulties in accurately calculating these benefits. We also reviewed recent advancements in targeted therapy and checkpoint inhibitors for advanced, inoperable HCC and projected their integration into LT for HCC. We further discussed the growing use of living donor liver transplants in the United States and compared its outcomes with those of deceased donor liver transplants. Furthermore, we examined the progress in machine perfusion techniques, which have shown potential in improving patient outcomes and enlarging the donor pool. These advancements present opportunities to enhance LT patient survivals, refine selection criteria, establish new priority metrics, develop innovative bridging and downstaging strategies, and formulate redesigned LT strategies for HCC treatments.

Evaluation of Overall Survival and Disease-Free Survival in Patients Receiving Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Comparison of Living Versus Deceased Donor Liver Transplants: Results of 15 Years of Experience

OBJECTIVE

Research comparing patients who received liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has produced varying outcomes regarding survival and disease-free survival. The objective of this study is to determine the factors that influence the disease-free and overall survivals of those who have undergone LT for HCC and to compare the outcomes of living versus deceased donor liver transplants.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data on patients aged 18 and above who received LT for HCC from 2006 to 2022. Patients with a follow-up period of less than 6 months and who did not meet the University of California San Francisco criteria were excluded. The data from 58 patients were analyzed. We split the patients into living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) (group 1) and deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) (group 2).

RESULTS

The mean age was 56 ± 8.1 years. There were 49 males and 9 females. The median of the alphafetoprotein (AFP) level and model for end-stage liver disease score was 10.1 ng/mL and 11, respectively. The 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year disease-free survival rates were 86%, 76.5%, 76.5%, and 76.5%, respectively. The survival rates for the same periods were 94.8%, 74.9%, 70.6%, and 67.4%. The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that AFP > 31.8 ng/mL and a total tumor size >3.85 cm raise the likelihood of HCC recurrence post-LT.

CONCLUSION

Based on the current literature, the overall survival and disease-free survival rates are influenced by factors such as AFP value, total tumor number, and total tumor diameter. In our study, the AFP value and total tumor size had an impact on the recurrence of HCC, and the survival rates were comparable on LDLT and DDLT.

Updates and Expert Opinions on Liver Transplantation for Gastrointestinal Malignancies

Transplant oncology is a relatively new field in which transplantation is used to treat patients who would otherwise be unresectable. New anticancer treatment paradigms using tumor and transplant immunology and cancer immunogenomics are emerging. In turn, liver transplantation (LT) has become a potential therapy for certain patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) with liver metastasis, hepatocellular (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and metastatic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of the liver. Although there are established criteria for LT in HCC, evidence regarding LT as a treatment modality for certain gastrointestinal malignancies is still debated. The aim of this review is to highlight updates in the role of LT for certain malignancies, including HCC, metastatic CRC, hilar CCA, and neuroendocrine tumor (NET), as well as contextualize LT use and discuss controversies in transplant oncology.

Association between Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence and Graft Size in Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Systematic Review

The aim of this work was to assess the association between graft-to-recipient weight ratio (GRWR) in adult-to-adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence. A search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed until December 2022 for studies comparing different GRWRs in the prognosis of HCC recipients in LDLT. Data were pooled to evaluate 1- and 3-year survival rates. We identified three studies, including a total of 782 patients (168 GRWR < 0.8 vs. 614 GRWR ≥ 0.8%). The pooled overall survival was 85% and 77% at one year and 90% and 83% at three years for GRWR < 0.8 and GRWR ≥ 0.8, respectively. The largest series found that, in patients within Milan criteria, the GRWR was not associated with lower oncological outcomes. However, patients with HCC outside the Milan criteria with a GRWR < 0.8% had lower survival and higher tumor recurrence rates. The GRWR < 0.8% appears to be associated with lower survival rates in HCC recipients, particularly for candidates with tumors outside established HCC criteria. Although the data are scarce, the results of this study suggest that considering the individual GRWR not only as risk factor for small-for-size-syndrome but also as contributor to HCC recurrence in patients undergoing LDLT would be beneficial. Novel perfusion technologies and pharmacological interventions may contribute to improving outcomes.

Can living donor liver transplantation provide similar outcomes to deceased-donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma? A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIM

A potential solution to the deceased organ shortage is to include live organ donations and to identify patients with lower rates of HCC recurrence to fairly allocate liver grafts. Our aims were to detect the long-term outcomes of LDLT versus DDLT for HCC and predictors of recurrence after transplantation.

METHODS

PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane library were searched for eligible studies from inception to July 2021 and a systematic review and meta-analysis were done.

RESULTS

35 studies with a total of 7822 patients were included. The 1-, 3-, 4 year-OS showed trivial improvement for LDLT recipients. However, the two modalities had similar 5-, 6- and 10-year OS. A significant improvement in the ITT-OS was observed for LDLT recipients. Regarding the DFS and recurrence after transplantation, no significant difference was observed between LDLT and DDLT. In addition to that, the pooled hazard ratio of the included studies showed that Milan criteria, level of AFP, presence of vascular invasion, tumor differentiation were significant predictors of recurrence.

CONCLUSION

The cancer biology (not the graft type) is the most important determinant of recurrence and survival after LT. However, LDLT provided much better survival benefits to HCC patients especially in regions that suffer from low deceased organ availability.

Surgical Strategies for Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Resection: A Review of Current Evidence

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer, and both liver resection and liver transplantation are considered potentially curative options. However, high recurrence rates affect the prognosis depending both on the primary HCC pathology characteristics or on the type and time of the relapse. While great attention has been usually posted on treatment algorithms for the first HCC, treatment algorithms for recurrent HCC (rHCC) are lacking. In these cases, surgery still represents a curative option with both redo hepatectomy and/or salvage liver transplantation, which are considered valid treatments in selected patients. In the current era of personalised medicine with promises of new systemic-targeted immuno-chemotherapies, we wished to perform a narrative review of the literature on the role of surgical strategies for rHCC.

National experience with living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is an attractive option to decrease waitlist dropout, particularly for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who face lengthening waiting times. Using the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) national database, trends in LDLT utilization for patients with HCC were evaluated, and post-LT outcomes for LDLT versus deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) were compared. From 1998 to 2018, LT was performed in 20,161 patients with HCC including 726 (3.6%) who received LDLT. The highest LDLT utilization was prior to the 2002 HCC Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) exception policy (17.5%) and dropped thereafter (3.1%) with a slight increase following the 6-month wait policy in 2015 (3.8%). LDLT was more common in patients from long-wait UNOS regions with blood type O, in those with larger total tumor diameter (2.3 vs. 2.1 cm, p = 0.02), and higher alpha-fetoprotein at LT (11.5 vs. 9.0 ng/ml, p = 0.04). The 5-year post-LT survival (LDLT 77% vs. DDLT 75%), graft survival (72% vs. 72%), and HCC recurrence (11% vs. 13%) were similar between groups (all p > 0.20). In conclusion, LDLT utilization for HCC has remained low since 2002 with only a slight increase after the 6-month wait policy introduction in 2015. Given the excellent post-LT survival, LDLT appears to be an underutilized but valuable option for patients with HCC, especially those at high risk for waitlist dropout.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation vs. Split Liver Transplantation Using Left Lateral Segment Grafts in Pediatric Recipients: An Analysis of the UNOS Database

Split and LDLT in pediatric patients have the potential to decrease wait times and waitlist mortality. Using UNOS-STAR data, we compared outcomes of pediatric patients undergoing LDLT and SLT using LLS grafts. The baseline characteristics and post-operative outcomes were compared between groups. Actuarial graft and patient survival were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves. Between 2010 and 2019, 911 pediatric LT were included in the analysis (LD graft group, n = 508, split graft group, n = 403). LD graft recipients spent more time on the waitlist vs. the split graft group (60 (22–138) days vs. 46 (16–108) days; p = 0.007). LD recipients had a lower rate of graft failure, found in 9.8% of patients compared with 14.6% in the split graft group (p = 0.02). HAT was the most common graft failure cause, with similar rates. Graft and patient survival at 1-, 3-, and 5-years was comparable between LDLT and SLT. In subgroup analyses, patients with biliary atresia, those ≤10 kg or ≤10 years old receiving an LD graft showed improved graft survival. In conclusion, LDLT is associated with a lower rate of graft failure in pediatric patients. The use of LLS regardless of the type of donor is a safe way to facilitate access to transplantation to pediatric patients with acceptable short and long-term outcomes.

Automatically Extracted Machine Learning Features from Preoperative CT to Early Predict Microvascular Invasion in HCC: The Role of the Zone of Transition (ZOT)

Background: Microvascular invasion (MVI) is a consolidated predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after treatments. No reliable radiological imaging findings are available for preoperatively diagnosing MVI, despite some progresses of radiomic analysis. Furthermore, current MVI radiomic studies have not been designed for small HCC nodules, for which a plethora of treatments exists. This study aimed to identify radiomic MVI predictors in nodules ≤3.0 cm by analysing the zone of transition (ZOT), crossing tumour and peritumour, automatically detected to face the uncertainties of radiologist’s tumour segmentation. Methods: The study considered 117 patients imaged by contrast-enhanced computed tomography; 78 patients were finally enrolled in the radiomic analysis. Radiomic features were extracted from the tumour and the ZOT, detected using an adaptive procedure based on local image contrast variations. After data oversampling, a support vector machine classifier was developed and validated. Classifier performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and related metrics. Results: The original 89 HCC nodules (32 MVI+ and 57 MVI−) became 169 (62 MVI+ and 107 MVI−) after oversampling. Of the four features within the signature, three are ZOT heterogeneity measures regarding both arterial and venous phases. On the test set (19MVI+ and 33MVI−), the classifier predicts MVI+ with area under the curve of 0.86 (95%CI (0.70–0.93), p∼10−5), sensitivity = 79% and specificity = 82%. The classifier showed negative and positive predictive values of 87% and 71%, respectively. Conclusions: The classifier showed the highest diagnostic performance in the literature, disclosing the role of ZOT heterogeneity in predicting the MVI+ status.

Long-Term Outcomes of Living Donor Versus Deceased Donor Liver Transplant for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in the United States

OBJECTIVES

Although living donor liver transplant has become a vital treatment option in hepatocellular carcinoma, controversy remains on whether recurrence and survival rates are different versus deceased donor recipients. Here, we compared clinical characteristics and outcomes between recipients of living and deceased donor liver transplants for hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Our comparisons used data from the United Network of Organ Sharing/Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.

RESULTS

There were 385 living donor and 25 274 deceased donor liver transplant recipients with diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Transplant list wait times of ≥6 months were more common in deceased donor(55.9%) versus living donor recipients (45.2%; P < .001). Both recipient groups were comparable with regard to alpha-fetoprotein level <200 ng/mL (P = .18). Only a small percentage in both groups had ≥3 total tumors (P = .73); both groups had similar low transplants outside of Milan criteria (P = .45). Overall, 1-, 5-, and 10-year overall survival rates for deceased versus living donor recipients were similar (91.2% vs 92%, 74% vs 76.4%, 58.9% vs 56.5%; P = .69). On multivariate analysis, Black/African American race/ethnicity was associated with worse outcomes than White race/ethnicity as reference (P < .001), whereas Hispanic and Asian race/ethnicity were more protected. Hepatitis C virus as liver disease etiology was associated with worse outcomes than other etiologies. Tumor characteristics, ≥3 lesions, tumor size, and higher alpha-fetoprotein levels were associated with worse outcomes. Living donor transplant was not associated with higher hazard of death. Among living donor recipients only, largest tumor size was associated with higher risk of death (P = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

Survival was similarin between the living donor versus deceased donor recipients with hepatocellular carcinoma. With changes in Model for End-Stage Liver Disease exception policies for hepatocellular carcinoma in the United States, living donor transplant for hepatocellular carcinoma could expand the donor pool.

Using Systemic Inflammatory Markers to Predict Microvascular Invasion Before Surgery in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background

Mounting studies reveal the relationship between inflammatory markers and post-therapy prognosis. Yet, the role of the systemic inflammatory indices in preoperative microvascular invasion (MVI) prediction for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains unclear.

Patients and Methods

In this study, data of 1,058 cases of patients with HCC treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from February 2002 to May 2018 were collected. Inflammatory factors related to MVI diagnosis in patients with HCC were selected by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analysis and were integrated into an “Inflammatory Score.” A prognostic nomogram model was established by combining the inflammatory score and other independent factors determined by multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive efficacy of the model.

Results

Sixteen inflammatory factors, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio, etc., were selected by LASSO regression analysis to establish an inflammatory score. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that inflammatory score (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.63–2.88, p < 0.001), alpha fetoprotein (OR = 2.02, 95% CI: 1.46–2.82, p < 0.001), and tumor size (OR = 2.37, 95% CI: 1.70–3.30, p < 0.001) were independent factors for MVI. These three factors were then used to establish a nomogram for MVI prediction. The AUC for the training and validation group was 0.72 (95% CI: 0.68–0.76) and 0.72 (95% CI: 0.66–0.78), respectively.

Conclusion

These findings indicated that the model drawn in this study has a high predictive value which is capable to assist the diagnosis of MVI in patients with HCC.

Preoperative predictors of non-transplantable recurrence after resection for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: application in an East Asian cohort

A French study found that three preoperative factors (i.e. alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > 100 ng/ml, image-diagnosed tumor number > 1, and cirrhosis) could predict non-transplantable recurrence (NTR) after liver resection (LR) for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to evaluate whether this model could be applicable in an East Asian cohort from a country in which the majority of patients undergo living donor liver transplantation (LT). This retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients who underwent LR for transplantable HCC between 2011 and 2018 in our institution. The occurrence of NTR after LR was analyzed in a competing risks analysis, with death and transplantable recurrence as competing events. A total of 309 patients were included. The five-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival were 79.0% and 51.4%, respectively (median follow-up: 32.0 months). Recurrence was noted in 94 (30.4%) patients. NTR was noted in 35 (11.3%) patients. Univariate analysis showed that cirrhosis (sub-distribution hazard ratio (SHR) = 2.301, 95% CI = 1.046-5.065; p = 0.038) and image-diagnosed tumor number > 1 (SHR = 2.32; 95% CI = 1.11-4.86; p = 0.026) were associated with NTR, whereas AFP > 100 ng/ml (SHR = 1.56; 95% CI = 0.59-4.10; p = 0.37) was not associated with NTR. In the presence of 0, 1, and 2 factors (i.e. cirrhosis or image-diagnosed tumor number > 1), the NTR rates were 7.2%, 10.8%, and 29.0%, respectively. The results showed that the French model was applicable to our cohort. In the presence of two factors (i.e. cirrhosis and image-diagnosed tumor number > 1), risks and benefits of upfront LT could be discussed with the patient and the living donor.

Incomplete radiofrequency ablation induced chemoresistance by up-regulating heat shock protein 70 in hepatocellular carcinoma

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a common minimally invasive treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Incomplete RFA (iRFA) due to the sub-lethal heat shock challenge of some cell populations leads to the generation of transformed survivor cells with enhanced chemoresistance. However, the underlying mechanism of iRFA on HCCs chemoresistance remains unknown. In the present study, we investigated the effect of iRFA on HCCs sensitivity to cisplatin. Cells treated with the sub-lethal heat shock challenge were used to mimic iRFA treatment in vitro. An orthotopic implantation HCC model was established and also performed iRFA treatment. Flow cytometry, transwell assay, and cell counting kit-8 assay were used to determine the effect of iRFA treatment on cisplatin-induced HCC cell apoptosis, invasion, and cell viability. ELISA and Western blot were used to detect the effect of iRFA treatment on cisplatin-induced HCC cell pyroptosis. We found that iRFA treatment increased the HCC cell proliferation and invasion ability, and inhibited cisplatin-induced pyroptosis. Further experiments showed that iRFA treatment induced upregulation of HSP70, which inhibited the cisplatin-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation, leading to inhibition of pyroptosis. HSP70 knockdown or NLRP3 overexpression could reverse the effect of iRFA treatment in vitro. In vivo, HSP70 knockdown reversed the chemosensitivity of HCC to cisplatin, which was decreased by iRFA. In conclusion, we demonstrated that iRFA induced drug resistance by HSP70-mediated inhibition of cell pyroptosis in HCC.

Prognostic Factors of Liver Transplantation for HCC: Comparative Literature Review

PURPOSE

The aim of the review study is investigation of the prognostic factors of the liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.

METHODS

A literature review has been made, especially in countries where dominantly living donor liver transplantation is performed, such as Turkey. Liver transplantation from deceased donor and from living donor has been evaluated about as advantages and disadvantages, and their effects on prognosis have been compared. In addition, hepatocellular carcinoma series of Koç University Liver Transplantation center has been presented.

RESULTS

Liver transplantation is still the best treatment option with 5-year 50% survival rate for hepatocellular carcinoma even in patient who has locally advanced tumor. The patient's survival is not only an important issue but also the living donor's safety is controversial particularly when expectation of recipient's 5-year survival is below 50% due to donor complication.

CONCLUSION

Detailed preoperative examination, appropriate patient selection, and timing of surgery are seen the most important issues in liver transplant's patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Predicting survival after liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma using the LiTES-HCC score

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Liver transplant priority in the US and Europe follows the 'sickest-first' principle. However, for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), priority is based on binary tumor criteria to expedite transplant for patients with 'acceptable' post-transplant outcomes. Newer risk scores developed to overcome limitations of these binary criteria are insufficient to be used for waitlist priority as they focus solely on HCC-related pre-transplant variables. We sought to develop a risk score to predict post-transplant survival for patients using HCC- and non-HCC-related variables.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study using national registry data on adult deceased-donor liver transplant (DDLT) recipients with HCC from 2/27/02-12/31/18. We fit Cox regression models focused on 5- and 10-year survival to estimate beta coefficients for a risk score using manual variable selection. We then calculated absolute predicted survival time and compared it to available risk scores.

RESULTS

Among 6,502 adult DDLT recipients with HCC, 11 variables were selected in the final model. The AUCs at 5- and 10-years were: 0.62, 95% CI 0.57-0.67 and 0.65, 95% CI 0.58-0.72, which was not statistically significantly different to the Metroticket and HALT-HCC scores. The LiTES-HCC score was able to discriminate patients based on post-transplant survival among those meeting Milan and UCSF criteria.

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated a risk score to predict post-transplant survival for patients with HCC. By including HCC- and non-HCC-related variables (e.g., age, chronic kidney disease), this score could allow transplant professionals to prioritize patients with HCC in terms of predicted survival. In the future, this score could be integrated into survival benefit-based models to lead to meaningful improvements in life-years at the population level.

LAY SUMMARY

We created a risk score to predict how long patients with liver cancer will live if they get a liver transplant. In the future, this could be used to decide which waitlisted patients should get the next transplant.

Monocytic MDSC mobilization promotes tumor recurrence after liver transplantation via CXCL10/TLR4/MMP14 signaling

Tumor recurrence is the major obstacle for pushing the envelope of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients. The inflammatory cascades activated by acute liver graft injury promote tumor recurrence. We aimed to explore the role and mechanism of myeloid-derived suppressor cell (MDSC) mobilization induced by liver graft injury on tumor recurrence. By analyzing 331 HCC patients who received liver transplantation, the patients with graft weight ratio (GWR, the weight of liver graft divided by the estimated standard liver weight of recipient) <60% had higher tumor recurrence than GWR ≥60% ones. MDSCs and CXCL10/TLR4 levels were significantly increased in patients with GWR <60% or tumor recurrence. These findings were further validated in our rat orthotopic liver transplantation model. In CXCL10^−/− and TLR4^−/− mice of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury plus major hepatectomy (IRH) model, monocytic MDSCs, instead of granulocytic MDSCs, were significantly decreased. Importantly, CXCL10 deficiency reduced the accumulation of TLR4⁺ monocytic MDSCs, and CXCL10 increased MDSC mobilization in the presence of TLR4. Moreover, MMP14 was identified as the key molecule bridging CXCL10/TLR4 signaling and MDSC mobilization. Knockout or inhibition of CXCL10/TLR4 signaling significantly reduced the tumor growth with decreased monocytic MDSCs and MMP14 in the mouse tumor recurrent model. Our data indicated that monocytic MDSCs were mobilized and recruited to liver graft during acute phase injury, and to promote HCC recurrence after transplantation. Targeting MDSC mobilization via CXCL10/TLR4/MMP14 signaling may represent the therapeutic potential in decreasing post-transplant liver tumor recurrence.

Living Donor Versus Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation for HCC

INTRODUCTION

Liver transplantation is the definitive treatment modality of the patients having an end-stage liver disease with hepatocellular carcinoma.

DISCUSSION

The number of living donor liver transplantations has been increased because of the deceased donor organ shortage, especially in Asian countries.

CONCLUSION

Reports of different clinics about the postoperative course and tumor recurrence rates comparing living donor versus deceased donor liver transplantations, besides patient selection criteria, are reviewed along with our clinic's experiences.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation: The Optimal Curative Treatment for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Even Beyond Milan Criteria

Introduction:

Liver transplantation offers the most reasonable expectation for curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma. Living-donor liver transplantation represents a treatment option, even in patients with extended Milan criteria. This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes of hepatocellular carcinoma patients, particularly those extended Milan criteria.

Materials and Patients:

All HCC patients who received liver transplant for HCC were included in this retrospective study. Clinical characteristics including perioperative data and survival data (graft and patient) were extracted from records. Univariate and multivariate analyses was performed to identify significant prognostic factors for survival, postoperative complications and recurrence.

Results:

Two-hundred and two patients were included. The median age was 54.8 years (IQR 53-61). Fifty-one patients (25.3%) underwent deceased donors liver transplantation and 151 patients (74.7%) underwent living donor liver transplantation. Perioperative mortality rate was 5.9% (12 patients). Recurrent disease occurred in 43 patients (21.2%). The overall 1-year and 5-year survival rates were 90.7% and 75.6%, respectively. Significant differences between patients beyond Milan criteria compared to those within Milan criteria were not found. Alpha-fetoprotein level >300 ng/mL, vascular invasion, and bilobar tumor lesions were independent negative prognostic factors for survival.

Conclusion:

Liver transplantation is the preferred treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma and it has demonstrated an excellent potential to cure even in patients with beyond Milan criteria. This study shows that the Milan criteria alone are not sufficient to predict survival after transplantation. The independent parameters for survival prediction are Alpha-Fetoprotein-value and status of vascular invasion.

Current status of adult liver transplantation: utilization of living donor versus deceased donor graft

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article will summarize prior and recent studies comparing outcomes between living donor and deceased donor liver transplantation (LT) in adults and provide a rationale and framework for expanding living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) in Western countries to address the growing critical organ shortage.

RECENT FINDINGS

There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating superior survival outcomes in LDLT in addition to a multitude of other advantages including shorter cold ischemia times, opportunity for pretransplant medical optimization, and expansion of transplant eligibility. Additionally, these outcomes continue to improve with center volume and experience.

SUMMARY

LDLT in adults emerged in response to an effective donor organ shortage created by the critical discrepancy between donor graft supply and demand. Overcoming this organ shortage and an increasing waitlist mortality requires a liver transplant framework that fully integrates LDLT into liver disease management although continuing to fully maximize deceased donor graft utilization at experience, capable centers. Optimizing both living and deceased donor graft utilization will drastically increase patients' access to LT.

Living Donor Liver Transplantation Versus Deceased Donor Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Within or Beyond the Milan Criteria: Comparable Long-Term Outcomes

BACKGROUND

The long-term outcomes after living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) vs deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain controversial. We compared the long-term outcomes between LDLT and DDLT in patients with HCCs within or beyond the Milan criteria.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 896 patients who underwent liver transplantation (829 LDLTs and 67 DDLTs) for HCC from June 2005 to May 2015. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test.

RESULTS

RFS at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after LDLT was 89.6%, 84.6%, 82.4%, and 79.6%, respectively, and, after DDLT, was 92.4%, 86.2%, 82.4%, and 82.4%, respectively, and OS at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after LDLT was 96.1%, 88.1%, 85.6%, and 82.7%, respectively, and, after DDLT, was 97.0%, 83.6%, 82.1%, and 77.3%, respectively, with no significant differences in RFS (P = .838) or OS (P = .293) between groups. No statistically significant differences after LDLT or DDLT were identified in RFS (89.8% vs 98.1%, respectively, at 5 years; P = .053) or OS (90.4% vs 90.6% , respectively, at 5 years; P = .583) for HCCs meeting the Milan criteria as well as for those beyond the Milan criteria (RFS, 37.8% vs 28.6%, respectively, at 5 years; P = .560 and OS, 57.3% vs 50.0%, respectively, at 5 years; P = .743).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who underwent LDLT for HCCs showed comparable long-term outcomes to patients who underwent DDLT. Patients with HCCs within the Milan criteria demonstrated acceptable long-term outcomes after both LDLT and DDLT.

Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Liver Transplant Recipients Treated with Pretransplant Direct-Acting Antiviral (DAA) Therapy

Background

Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have revolutionized the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV). The impact of DAAs on recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) remains uncertain.

Objective

We aimed to evaluate the risk of HCC recurrence in LT recipients cleared of HCV with DAAs at the time of LT compared to a control group of LT recipients who were viremic at the time of LT.

Methods

The study was a single-center, retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing LT for HCV-related HCC from 2002 to 2017. We compared time to post-LT HCC recurrence in patients with a sustained virological response (SVR) from DAAs prior to LT (DAA group) to patients who were viremic at LT (HCV+ group) using Kaplan-Meier analysis. We performed a secondary analysis comparing post-LT HCC recurrence in the DAA group to LT recipients with SVR from interferon-based treatment prior to LT (IFN group).

Results

One hundred fifty-one patients underwent LT for HCC related to HCV: 34 patients in DAA group, 95 patients in HCV+ group, and 22 in IFN group. Kaplan-Meier estimates of being HCC free were 96.2, 96.2, and 78.8% at 6, 12, and 24 months in DAA group, respectively, and 100, 98.6, and 95.8% at 6, 12, and 24 months in the HCV+ group, respectively; p = 0.08. There was no difference observed for HCC recurrence between the DAA and IFN groups. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model, DAA use increased the risk of post-LT HCC recurrence (HR 5.2, 95% CI 0.9-29.81, p = 0.07).

Conclusions

A strong trend was observed on both Kaplan-Meier and multivariate analyses toward increased post-LT HCC recurrence in patients who achieved SVR prior to LT with DAAs compared to patients who were viremic at LT. Caution is required when considering pre-LT treatment of HCV with DAAs in patients with HCC.

New advances in the diagnosis and management of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer related death in the world. Biannual surveillance for the disease in patients with cirrhosis and in high risk carriers of hepatitis B virus allows early stage cancer detection and treatment with good long term outcomes. Liver ultrasonography and serum α fetoprotein are the most commonly used surveillance tests. If suspicious results are found on the surveillance test, multiphasic computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging should be undertaken to confirm the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. If radiologic tests show inconclusive results, liver biopsy or repeat imaging could be considered for confirmation of hepatocellular carcinoma. Management of the disease is complex. Patients should be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team, and the selection of treatment should consider factors such as tumor burden, severity of liver dysfunction, medical comorbidities, local expertise, and preference of patients. Early stage hepatocellular carcinoma is best managed by curative treatment, which includes resection, ablation, or transplantation. Patients with intermediate stage disease often receive locoregional treatment. Systemic treatment is reserved for patients with advanced disease. Several positive, phase III, randomized controlled trials have expanded the systemic treatment options for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma with promising long term outcomes, especially trials using combination treatments, which could also have eventual implications for the treatment of earlier stage disease.

A novel signature based on microvascular invasion predicts the recurrence of HCC

Background and objectives

In hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients, microvascular invasion (MVI) is associated with worse outcomes regardless of treatment. No single reliable preoperative factor exists to predict MVI. The aim of the work described here was to develop a new MVI− based mRNA biomarker to differentiate between high and low risk patients.

Methods

Using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, we collected data from 315 HCC patients, including mRNA expression and complete clinical data. We generated a seven-mRNA signature to predict patient outcomes. The mRNA signature was validated using the GSE36376 cohort. Finally, we tested the formula in our own 53 HCC patients using qPCR for the seven mRNAs and analyzing the computed tomography (CT) features.

Results

This seven‐mRNA signature significantly correlated with length of recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) for both the training and validation groups. RFS and OS were briefer in high risk versus low risk patients. A Kaplan–Meier analysis also indicated that survival time was significantly shortened in the high risk group versus the low risk group. Time-dependent receiver operating characteristic analysis demonstrated good predictive performance for the seven-mRNA signature. The mRNA signature also acts as an independent factor according to a Multivariate analysis. Our results are consistent with the seven-mRNA formula risk score.

Conclusion

Our research showed a novel seven-mRNA biomarker based on MVI predicting RFS and OS in HCC patients. This mRNA signature can stratify patients into subgroups based on their risk of recurrence to help guide individualized treatment and precision management in HCC.

Living donor liver transplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

As experience grows, living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) has become an effective treatment option to overcome the deceased donor organ shortage.

RECENT FINDINGS

Donor safety is the highest priority in LDLT. Strict donor selection according to structured protocols and center experience are the main factors that determine donor safety. However, with increased experience, many centers have explored increasing organ availability within living donation by means of ABO incompatible LDLT, dual graft LDLT, and anonymous living donation. Also, this growing experience in LDLT has allowed the transplant community to cautiously explore the role of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma outside of Milan criteria and patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases.

SUMMARY

LDLT has become established as a viable strategy to ameliorate the organ shortage experienced by centers around the world. Improved understanding of this technique has allowed the improved utilization of live donor graft resources, without compromising donor safety. Moreover, LDLT may offer some advantages over deceased donor liver transplantation and a unique opportunity to assess the broader applicability of liver transplantation.

Direct Comparison of Four Presurgical Stratifying Schemes for Prediction of Microvascular Invasion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Gadoxetic Acid-Enhanced MRI

BACKGROUND

Microvascular invasion (MVI) is implicated in the poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Presurgical stratifying schemes have been proposed for HCC-MVI but lack external validation.

PURPOSE

To perform external validation and comparison of four presurgical stratifying schemes for the prediction of MVI using gadoxetic acid-based MRI in a cohort of HCC patients.

STUDY TYPE

Retrospective.

SUBJECTS

Included were 183 surgically resected HCCs from patients who underwent pretreatment MRI.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE

This includes 1.5-3.0 T with T₂ , T₁ , diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and dynamic gadoxetic acid contrast-enhancement imaging sequences.

ASSESSMENT

A two-trait predictor of venous invasion (TTPVI), Lei model, Lee model, and Xu model were compared. We relied on preoperative characteristics and imaging findings via four independent radiologists who were blinded to histologic results, as required by the tested tools.

STATISTICAL TEST

Tests of accuracy between predicted and observed HCC-MVI rates using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and decision curve analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cronbach's alpha statistics were used to evaluate reproducibility.

RESULTS

HCC-MVI was identified in 52 patients (28.4%). The average ROC curves (AUCs) for HCC-MVI predictions were 0.709-0.880, 0.714-0.828, and 0.588-0.750 for the Xu model, Lei model, and Lee model, respectively. The rates of accuracy were 60.7-81.4%, 69.9-75.9%, and 65.6-73.8%, respectively. Decision curve analyses indicated a higher benefit for the Xu and Lei models compared to the Lee model. The ICC and Cronbach's alpha index were highest in the Lei model (0.896/0.943), followed by the Xu model (0.882/0.804), and the Lee model (0.769/0.715). The TTPVI resulted in a Cronbach's alpha index of 0.606 with a sensitivity of 34.6-61.5% and a specificity of 76.3-91.6%.

DATA CONCLUSION

Stratifying schemes relying on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI provide an additional insight into the presence of preoperative MVI. The Xu model outperformed the other models in terms of accuracy when performed by an experienced radiologist. Conversely, the Lei model outperformed the other models in terms of reproducibility.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;52:433-447.

Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence in living and deceased donor liver transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text

Background:

Although a number of technical problems and donor safety issues associated with living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) have been resolved, some initial clinical studies showed an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence in LDLT. This meta-analysis was conducted to assess differences in tumor recurrence between LDLT and deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT).

Methods:

After systematic retrievals of studies about LDLT and DDLT for HCC, articles were selected with a rationale of emphasizing inter-group comparability. Results from multivariate analyses were combined and discussed together with univariate analyses. In subgroup analysis, the impact of organ allocation policy was taken into consideration.

Results:

Seven articles were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, a salient result that emerged from the seven studies was a significant increased risk of HCC recurrence in the LDLT group than in the DDLT group (P = 0.01). The most significant increase in hazard ratio was found in studies where organs tended to be allocated to non-tumor patients.

Conclusions:

An increased risk for HCC recurrence in LDLT as compared with DDLT patients was found. The relatively shorter preoperative observation windows in LDLT may lead to fewer cases of HCC with invasive features being screened out, which may provide a possible explanation for the high rates of HCC recurrence.

Effect of Institutional Case Volume on In-hospital Mortality After Living Donor Liver Transplantation: Analysis of 7073 Cases Between 2007 and 2016 in Korea

BACKGROUND

The relationship between institutional case volume and clinical outcomes after living donor liver transplantation is not clarified.

METHODS

We conducted a nationwide retrospective cohort study using the database of Korean National Healthcare Insurance Service. Between January 2007 and December 2016, 7073 adult living donor liver transplantations were performed at 50 centers in Korea. Centers were categorized according to the average annual number of liver transplantations: >50, 10 to 50, and <10.

RESULTS

In-hospital mortality rates in the high-, medium-, and low-volume centers were 2.8%, 4.1%, and 6.7%, respectively. After adjustment, in-hospital mortality was significantly higher in low-volume centers (adjusted odds ratio, 2.287; 95% confidence interval, 1.471-3.557; P < 0.001) and medium-volume centers (adjusted odds ratio, 1.676; 95% confidence interval, 1.089-2.578; P = 0.019) compared with high-volume centers. Long-term survival for up to 9 years was better, and intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were shorter in high-volume centers.

CONCLUSIONS

Centers with higher case volume (>50 liver transplantations/year) had better outcomes after living donor liver transplantation, including in-hospital mortality and long-term mortality compared with centers with lower case volume (≤50 liver transplantations/year).

Recent advances in liver transplantation for cancer: The future of transplant oncology

Liver transplantation is widely indicated as a curative treatment for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. However, with recent therapeutic advances, as well as efforts to increase the donor pool, liver transplantation has been carefully expanded to patients with other primary or secondary malignancies in the liver. Cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal and neuroendocrine liver metastases, and hepatic epithelioid haemangioendothelioma are amongst the most relevant new indications. In this review we discuss the fundamental concepts of this ambitious undertaking, as well as the newest indications for liver transplantation, with a special focus on future perspectives within the recently established concept of transplant oncology.

Incidence of Occult Intrahepatic Metastasis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treated With Transplantation Corresponds to Early Recurrence Rates After Partial Hepatectomy

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to compare the incidence of radiologically unrecognized (occult) hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions in explant hepatectomy specimens from orthotopic liver transplants (OLTs) performed for HCC with rates of HCC intrahepatic recurrence after resection.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Resection of HCC is associated with high rates of intrahepatic HCC recurrence. However, it is unclear whether these recurrences represent incomplete resection of unrecognized metastatic lesions from the primary tumor or subsequent de novo tumor formation due to inherent biological proclivity for HCC formation.

METHODS

We collected patient, tumor, and pathology data on HCC patients treated surgically from 3696 OLTs in the Organ Procurement and Transplantation (OPTN) national database, 299 OLTs at a single transplant center, and 232 partial hepatectomies from a hepatobiliary cancer center.

RESULTS

In the OPTN and high-volume transplant center cohorts, 37% and 42% of patients had occult HCC lesions on explant pathology, respectively. Among cancer center patients, the 2-year recurrence rate was 46%, and 74% of patients who recurred presented with liver only recurrence.

CONCLUSION

Although the transplant and resection populations differ, occult multifocality is common in transplant explants and similar to the 46% early recurrence rate following partial hepatectomy. These data suggest that noncurative resection often results from occult intrahepatic multifocality present at the time of resection rather than a malignant predisposition of the remnant liver with de novo tumorigenesis.

Radiomic analysis of contrast-enhanced CT predicts microvascular invasion and outcome in hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Microvascular invasion (MVI) impairs surgical outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). As there is no single highly reliable factor to preoperatively predict MVI, we developed a computational approach integrating large-scale clinical and imaging modalities, especially radiomic features from contrast-enhanced CT, to predict MVI and clinical outcomes in patients with HCC.

METHODS

In total, 495 surgically resected patients were retrospectively included. MVI-related radiomic scores (R-scores) were built from 7,260 radiomic features in 6 target volumes. Six R-scores, 15 clinical factors, and 12 radiographic scores were integrated into a predictive model, the radiographic-radiomic (RR) model, with multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Radiomics related to tumor size and intratumoral heterogeneity were the top-ranked MVI predicting features. The related R-scores showed significant differences according to MVI status (p <0.001). Regression analysis identified 8 MVI risk factors, including 5 radiographic features and an R-score. The R-score (odds ratio [OR] 2.34) was less important than tumor capsule (OR 5.12), tumor margin (OR4.20), and peritumoral enhancement (OR 3.03). The RR model using these predictors achieved an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.909 in training/validation and 0.889 in the test set. Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were significantly different between the RR-predicted MVI-absent and MVI-present groups (median PFS: 49.5 vs. 12.9 months; median OS: 76.3 vs. 47.3 months). RR-computed MVI probability, histologic MVI, tumor size, and Edmondson-Steiner grade were independently associated with disease-specific recurrence and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

The computational approach, integrating large-scale clinico-radiologic and radiomic features, demonstrates good performance for predicting MVI and clinical outcomes. However, radiomics with current CT imaging analysis protocols do not provide statistically significant added value to radiographic scores.

LAY SUMMARY

The most effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is surgical removal of the tumor but often recurrence occurs, partly due to the presence of microvascular invasion (MVI). Lacking a single highly reliable factor able to preoperatively predict MVI, we developed a computational approach to predict MVI and the long-term clinical outcome of patients with HCC. In particular, the added value of radiomics, a newly emerging form of radiography, was comprehensively investigated. This computational method can enhance the communication with the patient about the likely success of the treatment and guide clinical management, with the aim of finding drugs that reduce the risk of recurrence.

Transplantation versus liver resection in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common solid cancers in the world. Its treatment strategies have evolved significantly over the past few decades but the best treatment outcomes remain in the surgical arena. Especially for early HCCs, the options are abundant. However, surgical resection and liver transplantation provide the best long-term survival. In addition, there are evidence the ablative therapy such as radiofrequency ablation, could provide equivalent outcome as compared to resection. However, HCC is a unique malignancy as the majority of patients develop this cancer in the background of cirrhotic livers. As such, the treatment consideration should not only look at the oncological perspective but also the functional status of the liver parenchyma, i.e., the state of cirrhosis and presence of portal hypertension. Even with the most widely adopted staging systems for HCC such as the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system and many other staging systems, none of them are ideal in including the various considerations for patients with HCCs. In this article, the key issues between choosing surgical resection and liver transplantation are discussed. A comprehensive review of the current surgical options are outlined in order to explore the pros and cons of each option.

Live donor liver transplantation for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma offers increased survival vs. deceased donation

BACKGROUND & AIMS

There are conflicting reports on the outcomes after live donor liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We aimed to compare the survival of patients with HCC, with a potential live donor (pLDLT) at listing vs. no potential donor (pDDLT), on an intention-to-treat basis.

METHODS

All patients with HCC listed for liver transplantation between 2000-2015 were included. The pLDLT group was comprised of recipients with a potential live donor identified at listing. Patients without a live donor were included in the pDDLT group. Survival was assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariable Cox regression was applied to identify potential predictors of mortality.

RESULTS

A total of 219 patients were included in the pLDLT group and 632 patients in the pDDLT group. In the pLDLT group, 57 patients (26%) were beyond the UCSF criteria whereas 119 patients (19%) in the pDDLT group were beyond (p = 0.02). Time on the waiting list was shorter for the pLDLT than the pDDLT group (4.8 [2.9-8.5] months vs. 6.2 [3.0-12.0] months, respectively, p = 0.02). The dropout rate was 32/219 (14.6%) in the pLDLT and 174/632 (27.5%) in the pDDLT group, p <0.001. The 1-, 3- and 5-year intention-to-treat survival rates were 86%, 72% and 68% in the pLDLT vs. 82%, 63% and 57% in the pDDLT group, p = 0.02. Having a potential live donor was a protective factor for death (hazard ratio [HR] 0.67; 95% CI 0.53-0.86). Waiting times of 9-12 months (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.02-2.31) and ≥12 months (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.23-2.32) were predictors of death.

CONCLUSION

Having a potential live donor at listing was associated with a significant decrease in the risk of death in patients with HCC in this intention-to-treat analysis. This benefit is related to a lower dropout rate and a shorter waiting period.

LAY SUMMARY

Liver transplantation (LT) offers the best chance of survival for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and can be performed using grafts from deceased donors or live donors. In this work, we aimed to assess the differences in survival after live donor LT when compared to deceased donor LT. We studied 219 patients listed for live donor LT and 632 patients listed for deceased donor LT. Patients who had a potential live donor at the time of listing had a higher survival rate. Therefore, being listed for a live donor LT was a protective factor against death.

Living or deceased organ donors in liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The outcomes of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) versus deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for HCC patients were not well defined and it was necessary to reassess.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar and WanFang database for eligible studies. Perioperative and survival outcomes of HCC patients underwent LDLT were pooled and compared to those underwent DDLT.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine studies with 5376 HCC patients were included. For HCC patients underwent LDLT and DDLT, there were comparable rates of overall survival (OS) (1-year, RR = 1.04, 95%CI = 1.00-1.09, P = 0.03; 3-year, RR = 1.03, 95%CI = 0.96-1.11, P = 0.39; 5-year, RR = 1.04, 95%CI = 0.95-1.13, P = 0.43), disease free survival (DFS) (1-year, RR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.95-1.05, P = 0.99; 3-year, RR = 1.00, 95%CI = 0.94-1.08, P = 0.89; 5-year, RR = 1.01, 95%CI = 0.93-1.09, P = 0.85), recurrence (1-year, RR = 1.41, 95%CI = 0.72-2.77, P = 0.32; 3-year, RR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.57-1.39, P = 0.60; and 5-year, RR = 0.85, 95%CI = 0.56-1.31, P = 0.47), perioperative mortality within 3 months (RR = 0.89, 95%CI = 0.50-1.59, p = 0.70) and postoperative complication (RR = 0.99, 95%CI = 0.70-1.39, P = 0.94). LDLT was associated with better 5-year intention-to-treat patient survival (ITT-OS) than DDLT (RR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.01-1.22, P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis suggested that LDLT was not inferior to DDLT in consideration of comparable perioperative and survival outcomes. However, in terms of 5-year ITT-OS, LDLT was a possibly better choice for HCC patients.

Attitudes Toward Living Organ Donation and Willingness to Be a Living Organ Donor Among Chinese Citizens in 3 Cities

OBJECTIVE

The level of awareness of living organ donation demonstrated by citizens may affect the rate of organ transplantation in their area of residence. The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes toward living organ donation and willingness to be a living organ donor among Chinese citizens.

METHODS

The study population consisted of 2250 citizens in Beijing, Shanghai, and Wuhan. Data were collected using a questionnaire developed by the researchers based on the existing literature and expert opinions. The questionnaire included questions designed to assess demographics, attitudes, and willingness. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software.

RESULTS

Overall, 2198 citizens completed the questionnaire, of whom 845 (38.4%) supported living organ donation; however, only 213 (9.6%) participants were supportive of their family members donating living organs. A total of 424 (19.3%) citizens were willing to be living organ donors. Of the respondents, 1173 (53.4%) were neutral toward living organ donation and 1463 (66.6%) were undecided about their willingness to donate. In addition, willingness was positively correlated with age, education level, income, marital status, and having descendants (P < .05). Those who had relatives or friends who had undergone organ transplantation were significantly more likely to be donors than those who did not (P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study suggest that Chinese citizens lack an understanding of living organ transplantation, indicating that more work needs to be done to inform the public about organ transplantation in China.

Liver Transplantation for Hepatitis B Virus-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Hong Kong

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Curative resection is frequently limited in Hong Kong by hepatitis B virus-related cirrhosis, and liver transplantation is the treatment of choice. Liver transplantation has been shown to produce superior oncological benefits, when compared to hepatectomy for HCC. New developments in the context of patient selection criteria, modification of organ allocation, bridging therapy, salvage liver transplantation and pharmaceutical breakthrough have improved the survival of HCC patients. In this article, we will share our experience in transplanting hepatitis B virus-related HCC patients in Hong Kong and discuss the recent progress in several areas of liver transplantation.

Expansion of the hepatocellular carcinoma Milan criteria in liver transplantation: Future directions

Milan criteria are currently the benchmark related to liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, several groups have proposed different expanded criteria with acceptable results. In this article, we review the current status of LT beyond the Milan criteria in three different scenarios-expanded criteria with cadaveric LT, downstaging to Milan criteria before LT, and expansion in the context of adult living donor LT. The review focuses on three main questions: what would the impact of the expansion beyond Milan criteria be on the patients on the waiting list; whether the dichotomous criteria (yes/no) currently used are appropriate for LT or continuous survival estimations, such as the one of “Metroticket” and whether it should enter into the clinical practice; and, whether the use of living donor LT in the context of expansion beyond Milan criteria is justified.