Long-term Results of Incidental Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Liver Transplant

Abstract

Objectives: The incidence of detecting hepatocellular carcinoma in a removed recipient liver after a liver transplant is not rare. Here, we sought to evaluate incidental hepatocellular carcinoma at our center.

Materials and Methods: Among 296 patients who had undergone a liver transplant between September 2001 and November 2010, we retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of 6 patients with incidental hepatocellular carcinoma. The proportion of incidental hepatocellular carcinoma was 2%. The rate of incidental hepatocellular carcinoma among all hepatocellular carcinoma patients is 11.5%. There were 3 children and 3 adults (mean age, 28.3 ± 26 years; age range, 1-57 years). Two of the 6 patients were 1 year old. Alpha-fetoprotein levels were mildly elevated in 3 patients.

Results: The results of preoperative imaging studies in all patients were normal, except for those that demonstrated regenerative or dysplastic nodules. One of the grafts was from a deceased donor, the remaining 5 were from living-related donors. We encountered no complications after the transplants. Pathology findings showed a mean tumor size of 0.8 ± 0.3 cm (range, 0.5-1.2 cm) and multiplicity in 1 patient. One patient with multiple tumors had microvascular invasion. According to the Tumor Node Metastasis staging system, 5 patients had Stage I, and the remaining patient had Stage II carcinoma. There were no recurrences of hepatocellular carcinoma, and no deaths occurred during a mean follow-up of 63 ± 16.5 months (range, 33-79 months).

Conclusions: The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis who have undergone a liver transplant at our hospital is similar to those reported in other studies. Incidentally found hepatocellular carcinomas showed less-invasive pathologic features and better prognoses than did preoperatively found hepatocellular carcinomas.