Impact of clinically evident portal hypertension on the course of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients listed for liver transplantation.
Liver transplantation (LT) is the best curative treatment for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. However, the current shortage of organs causes prolonged waiting times and poorer intention-to-treat (ITT) survival (i.e., after listing) owing to tumor progression and dropout. Portal hypertension (PH) is a recognized risk factor of HCC development in patients with cirrhosis and its recurrence after resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of PHT on the results of LT on an ITT basis. Patients with cirrhosis listed for LT for HCC were included and their outcomes after listing were compared according to the presence or absence of PH defined as presence of esophageal varices or ascites or low platelet count and splenomegaly. Among 243 consecutively listed patients, 70% were affected by PH, which was associated with a significantly higher risk of tumor progression (38% vs. 22%; P = 0.017) and a higher risk of dropout (22% vs. 8%; P = 0.01). Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) was similarly applied to the two groups (60% vs. 67%; P = 0.325). An absence of TACE was the only other independent risk factor of dropout owing to tumor progression. Under an ITT analysis, PH reduced overall survival (OS), but there was no difference in OS and time to recurrence post-LT. The only pathological feature that could potentially explain this observation was the lower complete response to TACE in the PHT group (12% vs. 36%; P = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
PH should be regarded as a major risk factor of dropout owing to tumor progression and should be taken into consideration when managing patients with HCC who are waiting for LT.
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.
François
F
Faitot
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.
Marc-Antoine
MA
Allard
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.
Gabriella
G
Pittau
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.
Oriana
O
Ciacio
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unité UMRS776, Villejuif, France.
René
R
Adam
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Denis
D
Castaing
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Antonio Sa
AS
Cunha
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Gilles
G
Pelletier
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Daniel
D
Cherqui
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Didier
D
Samuel
AH-HP, Hôpital Paul Brousse, Centre Hépato-Biliaire, Villejuif, France.|Inserm, Unite 1193, Villejuif, France.|Université Paris-Sud, Villejuif, France.
Eric
E
Vibert
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000150:complications*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000401:mortality*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014850:Waiting Lists; D055815:Young Adult