Liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients who have undergone prior renal transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
Because renal transplantation recipients require immunosuppressive drugs, they have a higher incidence of subsequent malignancies. Among them, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is common. Although liver resection remains an option for curing HCC, the role of liver resection in renal transplantation recipients remains unclear.


METHODS
A retrospective review of liver resection for newly diagnosed HCC in 680 patients was conducted. Among them, 18 patients had undergone prior renal transplantation (RT group). The patient background, tumor characteristics, early and long-term results after liver resection were compared with the other 662 patients who had not previously undergone renal transplantation (non-RT group).


RESULTS
The patient's background characteristics were comparable between RT and non-RT group. The tumor characteristics, postoperative morbidity, and mortality were not significantly different between the two groups. The 5-year disease-free survival rates in RT and non-RT groups were 18.8% and 41.2%, respectively (P = 0.242), whereas 5-year actuarial survival rates in RT and non-RT groups were 59.1% and 58.3%, respectively (P = 0.738). Two patients lost their graft kidney 3 and 8 years after liver resection.


CONCLUSIONS
With careful protection of the graft kidney, liver resection is still a justified treatment option for HCC in patients who have undergone renal transplantation.
Cheng
Shao-Bin
SB
Department of Surgery, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Yeh
Dah-Cherng
DC
Shu
Kuo-Hsiung
KH
Wu
Cheng-Chung
CC
Wen
Mei-Chin
MC
Liu
Tse-Jia
TJ
P'eng
Fang-Ku
FK
D018784:Abdominal Abscess / Q000209:etiology; D000368:Aged; D001646:Bile; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000293:injuries; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006498:Hepatectomy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016066:Pleural Effusion, Malignant / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011379:Prognosis; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate
D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents