Live-donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma

Live-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a valuable option for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) because compared with deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT), the tumor could be eradicated early. However, a higher incidence of recurrence is observed when the result is compared with DDLT. The difference is explained by the timing of transplant because only patients with slow HCC growth (and probably less aggressive tumors) can wait for DDLT. Nevertheless, arecent survey of results of LDLT for HCC in Asia indicated that the 3-year survival rate is approximately 60-80%, which is better than that of any treatment modalities for inoperable HCC associated with poor liver function. LDLT for HCC is still worthwhile to pursue and deserves further evaluation.