Effect of preoperative radiological treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma before liver transplantation: a retrospective study.

Purpose: To assess the results of radiological treatment of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) performed before orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT).

Methods: Sixty-two transplanted patients with a total of 89 HCC nodules were studied; 50 lesions in 38 patients had been treated prior to OLT with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE; n = 29), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI; n = 10), or combined therapy (TACE + PEI; n = 11). The induced necrosis was pathologically evaluated. The recurrence rate after OLT in the treated group of patients (n = 38) was compared with that in the non-treated group (n = 24).

Results: After TACE, necrosis was complete in 7 of 29 lesions (24.1%), partial in 11 of 29 (37.9%), and absent in 11 of 29 (37.9%). After PEI, necrosis was complete in 8 of 10 lesions (80%), and partial in 2 of 10 (20%). Using combined therapy, necrosis was complete in 11 of 11 lesions (100%). Four of 24 untreated and 4 of 38 treated patients did not survive OLT from causes not related to the HCC; 3 of 20 non-treated patients (15%) and 4 of 34 treated patients (11.8%) had post-OLT recurrence (these last four patients had undergone only TACE and did not have tumor necrosis at pathological examination).

Conclusion: TACE of HCC prior to OLT had no influence on the recurrence rate. PEI and combined therapy (TACE + PEI) may be recommended in patients awaiting OLT.