A report of 28 cases of 3-year follow-up after liver transplantation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the therapeutic value of liver transplantation for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).


METHODS
Twenty-eight patients with advanced HCC were treated by liver transplantation from August 2000 to October 2003 at Peking University Third hospital. All the patients were followed up to evaluate the result.


RESULTS
The longest follow-up duration was 3 years and 3 mo. Till the end of the follow-up period, 17 patients had already died and 11 were alive. Of those who died, 10 patients died of tumor recurrence, 4 died during the perioperative period, 2 died of variceal bleeding, and 1 died of biliary complication. According to life table method, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival rates were 87.5%, 52.5%,and 42.9%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver transplantation provides a new treatment under the circumstance of lacking of an effective treatment for advanced HCC at present. Some patients can survive for a relatively long time free of tumor. In our country, if the patients can afford liver transplantation, advanced HCC without extrahepatic metastasis is an indication for liver transplantation at present.
Wang
De-Chen
DC
Department of General Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100083, China. hepuzai@yahoo.com.cn
Zhang
Tong-Lin
TL
Song
Shi-Bing
SB
Yuan
Jiong
J
Xiu
Dian-Rong
DR
Yang
Xiao-Xia
XX
D000328:Adult; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D016019:Survival Analysis