Salvage living donor liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after hepatectomy: Quantitative prediction using ADV score

Abstract

Background: Salvage liver transplantation is a definite treatment for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy. ADV score is calculated by multiplying α-fetoprotein and des-γ-carboxyprothrombin concentrations and tumor volume. Prognostic accuracy of ADV score was assessed in patients undergoing salvage living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and their outcomes were compared with patients undergoing primary LDLT. Methods: This study was a retrospective, single-center, case-controlled study. Outcomes were compared in 125 patients undergoing salvage LDLT from 2007 to 2018 and in 500 propensity score-matched patients undergoing primary LDLT. Results: In patients undergoing salvage LDLT, median intervals between hepatectomy and tumor recurrence, between first HCC diagnosis and salvage LDLT, and between hepatectomy and salvage LDLT were 12.0, 37.2, and 29.3?months, respectively. Disease-free survival (DFS, P?=?.98) and overall survival (OS, P?=?.44) rates did not differ significantly in patients undergoing salvage and primary LDLT. Pretransplant and explant ADV scores were significantly predictive of DFS and OS in patients undergoing salvage and primary LDLT (P?