Korean J Transplant.  2022 Nov;36(Supple 1):S109. 10.4285/ATW2022.F-2288.

The results of a living donor liver transplant for hepatocellular cancer following loco-regional treatment: a single-center retrospective study

• Lee TB
• Sim JR
• Choi BH
• Yang K
• Ryu JH

• KMID: 2535625
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4285/ATW2022.F-2288

Abstract

Background
Over the past 10 years, there has been a significant increase in loco-regional treatments (LRTs) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), bridging or downstaging patients on the liver transplant waiting list. This research aimed to investigate the results of LRTs performed on HCC patients after living donor liver transplantation.
Methods
From May 2010 to December 2019, 143 HCC patients underwent living donor liver transplants at Pusan National Uni-versity Yangsan Hospital. Preoperative LRTs were performed on 29 patients. Before liver transplantation (LT), the number of pa-tients who were successfully downstaged, the methods used, the length of follow-up, and the results of those patients' LT were all reported.
Results
Nine out of 29 were within Milan. The mean size of the HCCs was 3.23±1.65 (range, 0.9–7.7) cm, and the mean number of the HCCs was 5.28±6.73 (range, 1–30). 1-, 3-, and 5-year overall cumulative survival rates were 93.1%, 86.2%, and 82.1%, re-spectively, and the corresponding cumulative disease-free survival rates were 89.4%, 82.2%, and 73.6%, respectively. Seven out of 29 patients recurred, and the location is as follows: lung (four), bone (one), chest wall (one), and Intrahepatic (one).
Conclusions
These results demonstrated tumor bridging/downstaging as a possible therapeutic option for HCC patients who did not meet conventional LT criteria. Additional research involving many more patients is required.