Extended criteria for living donor liver transplantation in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the possibility of expanding the selection criteria in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

From October 2000 to December 2010, we retrospectively analyzed 71 patients who had undergone LDLT beyond the Milan criteria (MC), among the entire cohort of 199 HCC patients. We evaluated the tumor biology as well as overall and disease-free survival (DFS), seeking to identify risk factors for recurrence. The median follow-up was 37 months (range 5-124).

Results

Among the 71 patients beyond the MC were 18 recurrences and 30 deaths. Their 5-year overall and DFS rates were 52.3% and 67.7%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, tumor diameter, tumor number, and E-S grade significantly influenced overall and DFS. According to our new criteria (size ≤7 cm, number ≤7), 86% of our patients would be included compared with 64% using MC. Five-year DFS and overall survival rates according to our criteria were comparable with the MC: 86.8% and 72.3% versus 86.8% and 73.4%, respectively.

Conclusion

Our criteria appear to achieve useful cut-off values beyond the MC.