title: Transplant benefit for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: Although liver transplantation is theoretically the best treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), it is limited by the realities of perioperative complications, and the shortage of donor organs. Furthermore, in many cases there are available alternative treatments such as resection or locoregional therapy. Deciding upon the best option for a patient with HCC is complicated, involving numerous ethical principles including: urgency, utility, intention-to-treat survival, transplant benefit, harm to candidates on waiting list, and harm to living donors. The potential contrast between different principles is particularly relevant for patients with HCC for several reasons: (1) HCC candidates to liver transplantation are increasing; (2) the great prognostic heterogeneity within the HCC population; (3) in HCC patients tumor progression before liver transplantation may significantly impair post transplant outcome; and (4) effective alternative therapies are often available for HCC candidates to liver transplantation. In this paper we suggest that allocating organs by transplant benefit could help balance these competing principles, and also introduce equity between patients with HCC and nonmalignant liver disease. We also propose a triangular equipoise model to help decide between deceased donor liver transplantation, living donor liver transplantation, or alternative therapies.
authors.affiliation: Alessandro Vitale, Umberto Cillo, Unità di Chirurgia Epatobiliare e Trapianto Epatico, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.affiliation: Alessandro Vitale, Umberto Cillo, Unità di Chirurgia Epatobiliare e Trapianto Epatico, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Alessandro Vitale, Umberto Cillo, Unità di Chirurgia Epatobiliare e Trapianto Epatico, Azienda Ospedaliera-Università di Padova, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Cillo
mesh_terms: D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D019520:Living Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D014019:Tissue Donors / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014850:Waiting Lists
keywords: Deceased donor liver transplantation; Harm; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Intention-to-treat survival; Living donor liver transplantation; Transplant benefit; Urgency; Utility