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The Clinical Behavior of Transplantable Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Resection: Implications for Salvage Liver Transplantation

  • Hepatobiliary Tumors
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

This study aimed to classify transplantable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection into subgroups according to the pattern of progression and to identify risk factors for each subgroup to select optimal candidates for salvage liver transplantation (LT).

Methods

The patients that met the Milan criteria (MC) and were child-pugh class A at initial hepatectomy were included in the study. Of these patients, the patients with transplantable recurrence were identified and further divided into two groups according to the recurrent HCC progression pattern. Group 1 contained patients with controlled tumors within the MC. Group 2 contained patients with progressive tumors that spread beyond the MC. A controlled tumor was defined as the absence of tumor recurrence after locoregional treatment for ≥12 months or control of a recurrent tumor within the MC by active locoregional treatment.

Results

After curative resection of HCC, 114 patients with transplantable recurrence were identified: 70 were classified as group 1 and 44 as group 2. Overall survival after recurrence was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2 (65.4 vs 35.7 %, respectively; P < 0.003). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that risk factors in group 1 were age >50 years and an indocyanine green retention at 15 min >10 %. The presence of a satellite nodule (SN) and/or microscopic portal vein invasion (mPVI) was the only independent risk factor identified in group 2. Among the 15 patients that underwent salvage LT, 2 of 3 patients (66.7 %) with SN and/or mPVI at initial hepatectomy developed extrahepatic recurrence.

Conclusions

The patients with SN and/or mPVI at initial hepatectomy may not be candidates for salvage LT, and an extended observation time is required to determine tumor biology.

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Disclosure

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsanno, Seodaemoon-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Hyung Soon Lee MD, Gi Hong Choi MD, Dong Jin Joo MD, Myoung Soo Kim MD, Jin Sub Choi MD & Soon Il Kim MD

  2. The Research Institute for Transplantation, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Gi Hong Choi MD, Dong Jin Joo MD, Myoung Soo Kim MD, Jin Sub Choi MD & Soon Il Kim MD

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  1. Hyung Soon Lee MD
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  2. Gi Hong Choi MD
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  3. Dong Jin Joo MD
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Correspondence to Jin Sub Choi MD.

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Lee, H.S., Choi, G.H., Joo, D.J. et al. The Clinical Behavior of Transplantable Recurrent Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Resection: Implications for Salvage Liver Transplantation. Ann Surg Oncol 21, 2717–2724 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-014-3597-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-014-3597-6

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