Disease course after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with complete tumor necrosis in liver explants after performance of bridging treatments.

AIM

To study the disease course of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) showing complete tumor necrosis in their liver explants after undergoing bridging treatments followed by liver transplantation (LTx).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We evaluated data corresponding to 10 patients with liver cirrhosis undergoing bridging treatments for HCC prior to LTx. In all cases there was complete tumor necrosis in the explanted livers.

RESULTS

There were 8 men and 2 women. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) was performed under computed tomographic guidance in 4 patients. The remaining 6 patients underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). Five of them received one session of TACE, while the remaining one received a series of 4 sessions prior to LTx. Six patients had solitary nodules with a median diameter of 3.5 cm (range 2.5-4.2 cm). Four of them underwent RFA. Segmental tumor chemoembolization was performed in 2 patients. The remaining 4 patients had 2 tumors each with a median total diameter of 4.4cm (range 4.2-6.0 cm) prior to TACE. They underwent bilobar hepatic chemoembolization, which under staged the tumors prior to live donor liver transplantation (LDLTx). Six patients underwent deceased donor orthotopic liver transplantation. LDLTx was performed in 4 patients. Median waiting time to LTx was 53 days. All patients are alive without recurrence after a median follow-up of 19 months.

CONCLUSION

Achievement of 100% tumor necrosis by means of bridging treatments followed by LTx for HCC is characterized by a very low recurrence rate and should receive further consideration and study.