Ten-year outcomes impact of downstaging of hepatocellular carcinoma before liver transplant
Dr. Parissa Tabrizian
US national guidelines on transplant selection have adopted successful downstaging to within the Milan criteria (MC) as a viable option for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) before liver transplant (LT). Recurrence of HCC after LT carries a poor prognosis. Retrospective analysis of a large, multicenter cohort of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma found that patients successfully downstaged to within MC before LT had excellent ten-year post-transplant outcomes. The authors conclude that these results validated the national downstaging policies ahd showed a clear utility benefit for LT prioritization decision making.
