ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the role of preoperative serological indexes in predicting long-term survival and tumor recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients after liver transplantation, aiming to explore its significance in expanding the Milan criteria. Methods Clinical data of 669 recipients undergoing liver transplantation for HCC were retrospectively analyzed. The optimal cut-off value was calculated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The risk factors affecting the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation were identified by univariate and multivariate regression analyses. The correlation between preoperative serum liver enzymes and pathological characteristics in HCC patients was analyzed. The predictive values of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) combined with γ -glutamyl transferase (GGT) and different liver transplant criteria for the survival and recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation were compared. Results Exceeded Milan criteria, total tumor diameter (TTD) > 8 cm, AFP > 200 ng/mL and GGT > 84 U/L were the independent risk factors for the overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC patients after liver transplantation (all P < 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that preoperative serum GGT level was correlated with TTD, number of tumor, venous invasion, microsatellite lesions, capsular invasion, tumor, node, metastasis (TNM) stage, Child-Pugh score and exceeded Milan criteria (all P < 0.05). Milan-AFP-GGT-TTD (M-AGT) criteria were proposed by combining Milan criteria, TTD with serum liver enzyme indexes (AFP and GGT). The 5-year overall survival and recurrence-free survival rates of HCC recipients who met the M-AGT criteria (111 cases of exceeded Milan criteria) were significantly higher than those who met Hangzhou criteria (both P < 0.05), whereas had no significant difference from their counterparts who met the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) criteria (both P > 0.05). Conclusions Preoperative serological indexes of AFP and GGT could effectively predict the long-term survival and tumor recurrence of HCC patients after liver transplantation. Establishing the M-AGT criteria based on serological indexes contributes to expanding the Milan criteria, which is convenient and feasible.
ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical value of Hangzhou Criteria in selection of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)for living donor liver transplantation(LDLT)and their effects on recipient's post-transplant survival.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 43 patients with HCC who underwent LDLT in our center.All of the recipients were classified into subgroups according to Milan Criteria,Up-to-Seven Criteria and Hangzhou Criteria,and post-transplant total survival rate and tumor-free survival rate were compared among the criteria.Results The number of patients within Hangzhou Criteria was 61.5 %(8/13)more than that within Milan Criteria and 23.5 %(4/17)more than that within Up-to-Seven Criteria.The 1-,and 3-years total survival rate and tumor-free survival rate of the recipients within Milan Criteria(n=13)were 100 %,80.0 % and 84.6 %,84.6 %,those of the recipients within Up-to-Seven Criteria(n=17)were 100 %,75.2 % and 87.5 %,81.2 %,and those of the recipients within Hangzhou Criteria(n=21)were 100 %,80.0 % and 89.5 %,84.2 %,respectively.There was no significant difference among the three criteria in total survival rate and tumor-free survival rate(P>0.05).Conclusion Hangzhou Criteria further enrolled more liver transplantation candidates without decline of total survival rate and tumor-free survival.It is a more effective selection of HCC recipients for LDLT.