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The Oncologist, Vol. 10, No. 4, 269-281, April 2005; doi:10.1634/theoncologist.10-4-269
© 2005 AlphaMed Press

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Liver Transplantation for Malignancy

Martin Hertl, A. Benedict Cosimi

Massachusetts General Hospital Transplant Unit, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Correspondence: Martin Hertl, M.D., Transplant Unit, 55 Fruit Street, Blake 655, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. Telephone: 617-724-3730; Fax: 617-724-8634; e-mail: mhertl{at}partners.org

Liver transplantation for hepatic malignancies has emerged from an exotic and desperate approach to a well-documented and proven treatment modality for these unfortunate patients. However, early unsatisfactory results emphasized that only a highly selected patient population would benefit from transplantation. Currently, <10% of all liver transplants performed are for hepatocellular cancer (HCC). There is no controversy that hepatoblastoma is an excellent indication in pediatric patients with unresectable tumors. Similarly, liver transplantation for HCC in the adult population yields good results for patients whose tumor masses do not exceed the Milan criteria. It remains to be determined whether patients with more extensive tumors can be reliably selected to benefit from the procedure. Adjunctive procedures like radiofrequency ablation, chemoembolization, or cryotherapy might be indicated to limit tumor progression for patients on waiting lists. Epitheloid hemangioendothelioma is also an appropriate indication for liver transplantation, unlike angiosarcoma. Metastatic liver disease is not an indication for liver transplantation, with the exception of cases in which the primary is a neuroendocrine tumor, for which liver transplantation can result in long-term survival and even cure in a number of patients. And finally, while gallbladder cancers are never an indication for liver transplantation, rare cases of cholangiocellular cancer might qualify if aggressive combination therapies, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy followed by OLT, are carried through. Survival in these selected patients can approach that for patients with cholestatic liver disease.

Key Words. Hepatic malignancy • Liver transplantation • HCC • MELD




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