title: Role of Pittsburgh modified TNM criteria in prognosis prediction of liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pittsburgh modified TNM criteria is one of the prognostic models of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we applied this prognostic system in a series of HCC patients receiving OLT to verify its reliability in the clinical prognostic prediction.
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical record and follow-up data of 102 patients with HCC underwent OLT was collected. The patients were classified by 3 staging systems: the Pittsburgh Modified TNM Criteria, International Union Against Cancer (UICC) pTNM Staging System, and Milan Criteria. Survival rates of the patients were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method and the Log-Rank test, and then the prognostic values of the 3 staging systems were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 3 staging systems, the Pittsburgh Modified TNM Criteria showed the best stratification of patients with different prognosis. The overall survival rates of the patients at the Pittsburgh modified TNM stage I, II, III, and IV were 94.4%, 83.3%, 58.2%, and 36.8% at 1 year, and 79.4%, 62.5%, 26.2%, and 10.5% at 3 years, respectively. For those patients exceeding the Milan Criteria, the patients at Pittsburgh stages I and II had a significant higher survival rate than those at Pittsburgh stages III and IV (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Pittsburgh Modified TNM Criteria is a more reliable postoperative staging system than the UICC pTNM staging system for HCC patients receiving OLT. As providing more accurate prognostic classification, it could be reasonable to combine the Milan Criteria for recipient selection.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Department of Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310003, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Ling
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Shu-sen
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zheng
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate