Early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after living donor liver transplantation

Milan criteria are standards for considering the indications of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma. A 57-year-old man underwent living donor liver transplantation for hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma had been treated with percutaneous microwave coagulation therapy and transarterial chemoembolization. Resected specimens revealed a solitary necrotic tumor 5cm in diameter, which satisfied the Milan criteria. Although the patient survived the operation, he suffered from tumor recurrence in the graft and lung 2 months afterward. Adjuvant chemotherapy had no effect and the patient expired 7 months after transplantation. The present results indicate that a tumor satisfying the Milan criteria does not necessarily guarantee long-term survival after transplantation.