The survival and value of liver transplantation for liver carcinoma: a single-center experience.
Liver transplantation for liver carcinoma with cirrhosis is a treatment still in dispute. The objectives were to summarize the survival and cost of 50 liver transplant cases performed for liver carcinoma over nearly 3 years.


METHODS
We performed 138 liver transplants from January 1999 to February 2002. There were 50 cases (36.2%) of liver carcinoma with HBV cirrhosis, which were divided into three stages based on the tumor pathology: Stage 1 cases showed a single mass (< or = 5 cm), 4 cases; Stage 2, a single mass > 5 cm or intrahepatic multiple masses without PV cancer embolus, 32 cases; and Stage 3: tumor invasion of the PV or perihepatic lymph nodes or organs, 14 cases. All patients received three to six courses of chemotherapy postoperatively.


RESULTS
All four cases of stage 1 survived > 1 year; one of them is at 3 years with good liver function and tumor free. The mean half-year medical cost was $27.100 +/- 108 in stage 1. The half-year survival and medical costs were 62.5% and $31,500 +/- 260 in stage 2 and 15.0% and $35,500 +/- 134 in stage 3.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver transplantation is an effective treatment for early-stage liver carcinoma, that achieves good medical and economic results, but should be limited to advanced liver cancer.
Chen
Z S
ZS
Institute of Organ Transplantation, Key Laboratory, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. chenzhishui@163.net
Zeng
F J
FJ
Ming
C S
CS
Lin
Z B
ZB
Zhang
W J
WJ
Wei
L
L
Zhu
X H
XH
Jiang
J P
JP
Chen
Z K
ZK
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors