Liver transplantation for small hepatocellular carcinoma

We treat small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ≤3 cm in diameter by liver transplantation (LT) considering liver reserve and HCC localization, and when other treatment would be ineffective. However, the outcomes of LT and the clinicopathological features of small HCC ≤3 cm in diameter are not clear. We analyzed the outcomes of LT for small HCC ≤3 cm in diameter.

Between February 1999 and August 2015, 223 patients underwent LT for HCC at Kyoto University Hospital. We analyzed the proportion of small HCC ≤3 cm in diameter (small HCC) among all patients, the background of small HCC, survival and recurrence rates within and beyond the Milan criteria (MC), Kyoto criteria (KC) [≤5 cm, N ≤10, des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) ≤400], and rates of survival and recurrence after LT with or without pretreatment.

Among the 223 patients, 159 (71%) had small HCC accompanied by hepatitis B virus (HBV), 43 (27%); hepatitis C virus (HCV), 96 (61%); HBV, HCV, 5 (3%) and non B non C, 15 (9%). One hundred and fourteen (72%) patients were male with a tumor radius of 2 (range, 0.4-3) cm; number of tumors, 2 (range, 1-186); alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) 28.5 (range, 1.3-12,727) and DCP 42 (range, 5-20,600). The tumors were well, moderately and poorly differentiated in 22 (14%), 105 (66%) and 24 (15%) patients, respectively. Among the patients, 124 (78%) and 132 (83%) were within the MC and KC, respectively. One-, three- and five-year survival rates associated with tumors within and beyond the MC were 87%, 81% and 79% vs. 94%, 76%, and 70%, respectively (P=0.430) and recurrence rates were significantly lower in patients within MC than in patients beyond MC (P<0.001). One-, three- and five-year survival rates associated with tumors within and beyond KC were 89%, 85%, and 83% vs. 89%, 58%, and 50%, respectively (P<0.001) and recurrence rates were 2%, 3%, and 4% vs. 21%, 37%, and 47%, respectively (P<0.001). Survival and recurrence rates were significantly higher and lower, respectively, among patients whose tumors were within, than beyond the KC. The one, three and five-year survival rates of patients with or without pretreatment were 89%, 79%, and 75% vs. 86%, 81%, and 81%, respectively (P=0.315) and recurrence rates were 6%, 10%, and 15% vs. 2%, 2%, and 2%, respectively (P=0.040). Recurrence rates were significantly higher in patients with pretreatment than in those without pretreatment.

Outcomes after LT were favorable for patients with small HCC that meet MC criteria or are less biologically malignant.