Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: an update.
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide and the most common primary hepatic malignancy. It arises on a background of hepatic cirrhosis in approximately 95% of the cases in the United States. A wide variety of treatment modalities have been applied in the treatment of HCC. Liver transplantation has emerged as the preferred treatment for patients with small HCC. Transplantation for patients whose tumors do not exceed the Milan criteria yields results equivalent to those of transplantation for non-HCC indications. Controversy now exists regarding the use of living donors, expansion of selection criteria, and role of adjuvant therapy.
Botha
Jean F
JF
Department of Surgery, Section of Transplantation, UNMC Eppley Cancer Center at The Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198-3285. jbotha@unmc.edu
Langnas
Alan N
AN
D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors