Background: Liver transplantation (LT) is one of the standard treatments for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the outcomes have become better after introduction of strict patient selection, such as the Milan criteria. However, several expanded criteria, such as the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) criteria, have demonstrated similar survival outcomes. The aim of this study was to verify survival outcomes of LT for HCC at Siriraj Hospital.
Methods: Sixty-three patients diagnosed with HCC who underwent cadaveric LT at Siriraj Hospital from 2002 to 2011 were included. All patients' characteristics, blood chemistries, size and number of tumors, bridging therapy, and survival and recurrence data were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed.
Results: Nearly all (62 patients, 98.4%) fulfilled the Milan criteria based on preoperative imaging. Explant pathology revealed that 40 patients (63.5%) were within Milan criteria and 50 patients (83%) within UCSF criteria. Demographic data, clinical laboratory, and bridging therapy were similar in patients within and outside both Milan and UCSF criteria. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of patients within Milan were 85%, 75%, and 67.5%, and of those outside Milan were 69.6%, 52.2%, 52.2%, respectively (P = .25). Interestingly, with the use of the UCSF criteria, the 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates of patients within UCSF were significantly better than of those outside UCSF (84%, 76%, and 70% vs 61.5%, 30.8%, and 30.8%, respectively; P = .01).
Conclusions: Outcome of LT in HCC patients within Milan criteria demonstrated good long-term survival. However, providing the opportunity for HCC patients by expanding from Milan to UCSF criteria revealed similar outcomes.
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