Primary results of salvage liver transplantation in the patients with unresectable recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after initial liver resection.

Objective: Salvage liver transplantation (SLT) is a treatment choice for recurrent HCC fulfilling the Milan criteria. However, there is no consensus on the value of SLT for recurrent HCC beyond the Milan criteria, especially for unresectable HCC.

Methods: Eleven patients with recurrent HCC underwent SLT in Tongji Hospital between January 2003 and July 2010. All the 11 patients were considered unresectable because of deteriorated liver function, multiple bilobar tumors or vascular invasion. The outcomes and prognostic factors of these patients were analyzed.

Results: At a median follow up of 30 months, six patients were alive. Four patients died from HCC recurrence, and one died from gastric cancer. The 1-, 2-, and 3- year recurrence and overall survival rates after SLT were 58.4%, 72.3% and 86.1%, respectively, and 90.9%, 40.6% and 40.6%, respectively. Vascular invasion, recurrent HCC beyond the Milan criteria and early recurrence within 18 months after initial resection were negative prognostic factors of SLT for recurrent HCC.

Conclusions: SLT can be recommended as an alternative treatment for recurrent HCC fulfilling the Milan criteria. For those beyond the Milan criteria or with vascular invasion, or early recurrence after initial resection, however, SLT is not beneficial and should not be recommended.