LIVER-TRANSPLANTATION FOR HEPATOCELLULAR-CARCINOMA - MIDTERM RESULTS

The results of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma are disappointing. Thus, in 11 patients transplanted for hepatocellular carcinoma on cirrhosis, the actuarial survival rate at 3 years was 20 percent, with a postoperative mortality of 27 percent and 4 deaths caused by recurrence of the malignancy. These poor results contrast with those we obtained after liver transplantation for cirrhosis and finding of incidental hepatocellular carcinoma in the resected part of the liver. Out of 6 patients with incidental carcinoma only 1 died postoperatively (16.6 percent), and no case of recurrent malignancy was observed. These results confirm that the malignancy recurrence rate is high after transplantation for large carcinoma. On the other hand, the absence of recurrence after transplantation for incidental hepatocellular carcinoma encourages us to look for small carcinomas on cirrhosis.