Risk Factors for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence and Survival after Liver Transplantation in Patients with HCV-Related Cirrhosis

Purpose. We aimed to identify prognostic factors for survival and recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) for patients with HCC and hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis (HCV-cirrhosis). Methods. This retrospective cohort study followed all adult patients with HCV-cirrhosis who underwent LT because of HCC or had incidental HCC identified through pathologic examination of the explanted liver at a university hospital in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, over 11 years (1998-2008). We used Cox regression models to assess the following risk factors regarding HCC recurrence or death after LT: age, Model for End-stage Liver Disease score, Child-Pugh classification, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), whether patients had undergone locoregional treatment before transplantation, the number of packed red blood cell units (PRBCU) transfused during surgery, the number and size of HCC lesions in the explanted liver, and the presence of microvascular invasion and necrotic areas within HCC lesions. Results. Seventy-six patients were followed up for a median (interquartile range (IQR)) of 4.4 (0.7-6.6) years. Thirteen (17%) patients had HCC recurrence during the follow-up period, and 26 (34%) died. The median survival time was 6.6 years (95% CI: 2.4-12.0), and the 5-year survival was 52.5% (95% CI: 42.3-65.0%). The final regression model for overall survival included four variables: age (hazard ratio (HR): 1.02, 95% CI: 0.96-1.08, P = 0.603 ), transplantation waiting time (HR: 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00-1.00, P = 0.190 ), preoperative AFP serum levels (HR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.00-1.02, P = 0.006 ), and whether >4 PRBCU were transfused during surgery (HR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.05-1.25, P = 0.001 ). The final cause-specific Cox regression model for HCC recurrence included only microvascular invasion (HR: 14.86, 95% CI: 4.47-49.39, P < 0.001 ). Conclusion. In this study of LT for HCV-cirrhosis, preoperative AFP levels and the number of PRBCU transfused during surgery were associated with overall survival, whereas microvascular invasion with HCC recurrence.

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Indication of Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Should Be Reconsidered in Case of Microvascular Invasion and Multilocular Tumor Occurrence

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10061155 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (6) ◽

pp. 1155

Author(s):

Jan-Paul Gundlach ◽

Stephan Schmidt ◽

Alexander Bernsmeier ◽

Rainer Günther ◽

Victor Kataev ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Microvascular Invasion ◽

Simultaneous Occurrence ◽

Free Survival ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Disease Free

Liver transplantation (LT) is routinely performed for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in cirrhosis without major vascular invasion. Although the adverse influence of microvascular invasion is recognized, its occurrence does not contraindicate LT. We retrospectively analyzed in our LT cohort the significance of microvascular invasion on survival and demonstrate bridging procedures. At our hospital, 346 patients were diagnosed with HCC, 171 patients were evaluated for LT, and 153 were listed at Eurotransplant during a period of 11 years. Among these, 112 patients received LT and were included in this study. Overall survival after 1, 3 and 5 years was 86.3%, 73.9%, and 67.9%, respectively. Microvascular invasion led to significantly reduced overall (p = 0.030) and disease-free survival (p = 0.002). Five-year disease-free survival with microvascular invasion was 10.5%. Multilocular tumor occurrence with simultaneous microvascular invasion revealed the worst prognosis. In our LT cohort, predominant bridging treatment was transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) and the number of TACE significantly correlated with poorer overall survival after LT (p = 0.028), which was confirmed in multiple Cox regression analysis for overall and disease-free survival (p = 0.015 and p = 0.011). Microvascular tumor invasion is significantly associated with reduced prognosis after LT, which is aggravated by simultaneous occurrence of multiple lesions. Therefore, indication strategies for LT should be reconsidered.

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Surgical Resection Significantly Promotes the Overall Survival of Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-148506/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Pei-Min Hsieh ◽

Hung-Yu Lin ◽

Chao-Ming Hung ◽

Gin-Ho Lo ◽

I-Cheng Lu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Surgical Resection ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background: The benefits of surgical resection (SR) for various Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. We investigated the risk factors of overall survival (OS) and survival benefits of SR over nonsurgical treatments in patients with HCC of various BCLC stages.Methods: Overall, 2316 HCC patients were included, and their clinicopathological data and OS were recorded. OS was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed.Results: In total, 66 (2.8%), 865 (37.4%), 575 (24.8%) and 870 (35.0%) patients had BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C disease, respectively. Furthermore, 1302 (56.2%) of all patients, and 37 (56.9%), 472 (54.6%), 313 (54.4%) and 480 (59.3%) of patients with BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C disease, respectively, died. The median follow-up duration time was 20 (range 0-96) months for the total cohort and was subdivided into 52 (8-96), 32 (1-96), 19 (0-84), and 12 (0-79) months for BCLC stages 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. The risk factors for OS were 1) SR and cirrhosis; 2) SR, cirrhosis, and Child-Pugh (C-P) class; 3) SR, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and C-P class; and 4) SR, HBV infection, and C-P class for the BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. Compared to non-SR treatment, SR resulted in significantly higher survival rates in all cohorts. The 5-year OS rates for SR vs non-SR were 44.0% vs 28.7%, 72.2% vs 42.6%, 42.6% vs 36.2, 44.6% vs 23.5%, and 41.4% vs 15.3% (all p-values<0.05) in the total and BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. After PSM, SR resulted in significantly higher survival rates compared to non-SR treatment in various BCLC stages.Conclusion: SR conferred significant survival benefits to patients with HCC of various BCLC stages and should be considered a recommended treatment for select HCC patients, especially patients with BCLC stage B and C disease.

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mTOR Expression in Liver Transplant Candidates with Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Impact on Histological Features and Tumour Recurrence

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20020336 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 336 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Marta Guerrero ◽

Gustavo Ferrín ◽

Manuel Rodríguez-Perálvarez ◽

Sandra González-Rubio ◽

Marina Sánchez-Frías ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplant ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Cell Signalling ◽

Mtor Pathway ◽

Tumour Recurrence ◽

Recurrence Rates ◽

Explanted Liver ◽

Peritumoral Tissue ◽

Hcc Recurrence

(1) Background: The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway activation is critical for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. We aimed to evaluate the mTOR tissue expression in liver transplant (LT) patients and to analyse its influence on post-LT outcomes. (2) Methods: Prospective study including a cohort of HCC patients who underwent LT (2012–2015). MTOR pathway expression was evaluated in the explanted liver by using the “PathScan Intracellular Signalling Array Kit” (Cell Signalling). Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate post-LT HCC recurrence. (3) Results: Forty-nine patients were included (average age 56.4 ± 6, 14.3% females). Phospho-mTOR (Ser2448) was over-expressed in peritumoral tissue as compared with tumoral tissue (ΔSignal 22.2%; p < 0.001). The mTOR activators were also increased in peritumoral tissue (phospho-Akt (Thr308) ΔSignal 18.2%, p = 0.004; phospho-AMPKa (Thr172) ΔSignal 56.3%, p < 0.001), as they were the downstream effectors responsible for cell growth/survival (phospho-p70S6K (Thr389) ΔSignal 33.3%, p < 0.001 and phospho-S6RP (Ser235/236) ΔSignal 54.6%, p < 0.001). MTOR expression was increased in patients with multinodular HCC (tumoral p = 0.01; peritumoral p = 0.001). Increased phospho-mTOR in tumoral tissue was associated with higher HCC recurrence rates after LT (23.8% vs. 5.9% at 24 months, p = 0.04). (4) Conclusion: mTOR pathway is over-expressed in patients with multinodular HCC and is it associated with increased post-LT tumour recurrence rates.

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Identification of a Pyroptosis-Related Gene Signature for Predicting Overall Survival and Response to Immunotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Frontiers in Genetics ◽

10.3389/fgene.2021.789296 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Susu Zheng ◽

Xiaoying Xie ◽

Xinkun Guo ◽

Yanfang Wu ◽

Guobin Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Overall Survival ◽

High Risk ◽

Regression Model ◽

Risk Score ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Risk Group ◽

Gene Signature ◽

High Risk Group ◽

Related Gene

Pyroptosis is a novel kind of cellular necrosis and shown to be involved in cancer progression. However, the diverse expression, prognosis and associations with immune status of pyroptosis-related genes in Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have yet to be analyzed. Herein, the expression profiles and corresponding clinical characteristics of HCC samples were collected from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases. Then a pyroptosis-related gene signature was built by applying the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model from the TCGA cohort, while the GEO datasets were applied for verification. Twenty-four pyroptosis-related genes were found to be differentially expressed between HCC and normal samples. A five pyroptosis-related gene signature (GSDME, CASP8, SCAF11, NOD2, CASP6) was constructed according to LASSO Cox regression model. Patients in the low-risk group had better survival rates than those in the high-risk group. The risk score was proved to be an independent prognostic factor for overall survival (OS). The risk score correlated with immune infiltrations and immunotherapy responses. GSEA indicated that endocytosis, ubiquitin mediated proteolysis and regulation of autophagy were enriched in the high-risk group, while drug metabolism cytochrome P450 and tryptophan metabolism were enriched in the low-risk group. In conclusion, our pyroptosis-related gene signature can be used for survival prediction and may also predict the response of immunotherapy.

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Homocysteine: A novel prognostic biomarker in liver transplantation for alpha-fetoprotein- negative hepatocellular carcinoma

Cancer Biomarkers ◽

10.3233/cbm-201545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 197-206

Author(s):

Modan Yang ◽

Winyen Tan ◽

Xinyu Yang ◽

Jianyong Zhuo ◽

Zuyuan Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Tumor Recurrence ◽

Prognostic Biomarker ◽

Milan Criteria ◽

Recurrence Free Survival ◽

Free Survival ◽

Independent Risk Factors ◽

Hcc Recurrence

BACKGROUND: Precise recipient selection optimizes the prognosis of liver transplantation (LT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is the most commonly used biomarker for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC in the clinical context. As a crucial molecule in methionine cycle, homocysteine (Hcy) level has been proved to be related to HCC progression and metastasis. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore the prognostic capacity of pre-transplant serum Hcy level in LT for HCC. METHODS: This study retrospectively enrolled 161 HCC patients who had underwent LT from donation after cardiac death (DCD) in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University from 2015.01.01 to 2018.09.01. Pre-transplant serum Hcy level was incorporated into statistical analysis together with other clinical parameters and pathological features. RESULTS: From an overall perspective, significant difference was observed in Hcy level between recurrence (n= 61) and non-recurrence group (n= 100) though subsequent analysis showed unsatisfactory predicting performance. In the whole cohort, multivariate analysis showed that lnAFP (p= 0.010) and Milan criteria (MC, p< 0.001) were independent risk factors of HCC recurrence after LT. MA score based on MC and lnAFP performed well in predicting post-LT tumor recurrence with the AUROC at 0.836 (p< 0.001) and 3-year recurrence-free survival rate at 96.8% (p< 0.001) in the low risk group (n= 69). According to the clinical practice, serum concentration lower than 20 μg/L is considered as normal range of AFP. Elevated pre-transplant serum AFP (> 20 μg/L) predicts high HCC recurrence after LT. We further divided the 161 recipients into AFP- group (n= 77, AFP ⩽ 20 μg/L) and AFP+ group (n= 84, AFP > 20 μg/L). MA score was still well presented in the AFP+ group and the AUROC for tumor recurrence was 0.823 (p< 0.001), whereas the predicting accuracy was reduced in AFP- group (AUROC: 0.754, P< 0.001). After subsequent analysis, we found that elevated pre-transplant Hcy level (> 12.75 μmol/L) predicted increased tumor recurrence risk in AFP- group. The 3-year recurrence-free survival rates were 92.0% and 53.7% (p< 0.001) in low Hcy subgroup (n= 40) and high Hcy subgroup (n= 37) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that Hcy (p= 0.040) and Milan criteria (p= 0.003) were independent risk factors for post-transplant tumor recurrence in AFP- group. Further combination of Hcy level and Milan criteria identified a subgroup of AFP- recipients with acceptable outcomes even though beyond Milan criteria (3-year recurrence-free survival rate: 77.7%, p< 0.001). CONCLUSION: As a classic predictor in HCC prognosis, AFP performed well in our study cohort when combined with Milan criteria. Homocysteine was an effective prognostic biomarker in LT for AFP- hepatocellular carcinoma. In recipients exceeding Milan criteria, acceptable post-transplant outcome could be seen in those with low Hcy and AFP level.

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Laparoscopic Resection of Recurrence from Hepatocellular Carcinoma after Liver Transplantation: Case Reports and Review of the Literature

Case Reports in Oncological Medicine ◽

10.1155/2016/8946471 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2016 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Mushegh A. Sahakyan ◽

Airazat M. Kazaryan ◽

Ewa Pomianowska ◽

Andreas Abildgaard ◽

Pål-Dag Line ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Case Reports ◽

Postoperative Recovery ◽

Subsequent Treatment ◽

University Hospital ◽

Open Approach ◽

One Year ◽

Tissue Trauma ◽

Hcc Recurrence

Background. Recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after liver transplantation (LT) indicates a poor prognosis. Surgery is considered the only curative option for selected patients with HCC recurrence following LT. Traditionally, the preference is given to the open approach.Methods. In this report, we present two cases of laparoscopic resections (LR) for recurrent HCC after LT, performed at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet.Results. Both procedures were executed without intraoperative and postoperative adverse events. Whereas one of the patients had a recurrence one year after LR, the other patient did not have any sign of disease during 3-year follow-up.Conclusions. We argue that, in selected cases, patients with HCC recurrence following LT may benefit from LR due to its limited tissue trauma and timely start of subsequent treatment if curative resection cannot be obtained. In patients with relatively favorable prognosis, LR facilitates postoperative recovery course and avoids unnecessary laparotomy.

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Value of HCC-MELD Score in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Liver Transplantation

Progress in Transplantation ◽

10.1177/1526924817746686 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (1) ◽

pp. 63-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gian Piero Guerrini ◽

Domenico Pinelli ◽

Elena Marini ◽

Vittorio Corno ◽

Michela Guizzetti ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Prognostic Score ◽

Disease Free Survival ◽

Meld Score ◽

Poor Overall Survival ◽

Cox Regression Analysis ◽

Improve Risk Stratification

Context: Liver transplantation (LT) is considered the ideal therapy for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) having cirrhosis but the shortage of liver donors and the risk of dropout from the wait list due to tumor progression severely limit transplantation. A new prognostic score, the HCC-model for end-stage liver disease (HCC-MELD), was developed by combining α-fetoprotein (AFP), MELD, and tumor size, to improve risk stratification of dropout in patients with HCC. Objectives: In this study, we investigated the ability of the HCC-MELD score in predicting the posttransplant for patients fulfilling Milan criteria (MC). Design: Two hundred patients with stage II tumor were retrospectively reviewed from a total of 1290 transplants performed at our institution from October 1997 through April 2015. Cox regression analysis was performed to identify the prognostic factors impacting the posttransplant survival. Results: Overall survival at 1, 5, and 10 years was 89.3%, 71.1%, and 67.2%, whereas disease-free survival was 86.4%, 66.5%, and 52.4%, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed HCC-MELD score (hazard ratio [HR] 39.6, P < .001) and microvascular invasion (HR 2.41, P = .002) to be independent risk factors for recurrence, whereas HCC diameter (HR 1.15, P = .041), HCC-MELD (HR 15.611, P = .006), and grading (HR 2.17, P = .03) proved to be predictive factors of poor overall survival. Conclusion: Our study showed the validity of the HCC-MELD equation in the evaluation of patients undergoing LT for HCC. This score offers a reliable method to assess the risk of waiting list dropout and predict posttransplantation outcomes.

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TLR9-1486C/T polymorphism is associated with hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after liver transplantation

Biomarkers in Medicine ◽

10.2217/bmm-2019-0030 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (12) ◽

pp. 995-1004 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Sara de la Fuente ◽

María-Jesús Citores ◽

José-Luis Lucena ◽

Pablo Muñoz ◽

Valentín Cuervas-Mons

Keyword(s):

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Real Time Pcr ◽

Tumor Recurrence ◽

Post Transplant ◽

Explanted Liver ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Poorly Differentiated ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Recurrence ◽

Hcc Recurrence

Aim: To determine whether TLR9 polymorphisms are associated with tumor recurrence after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients & methods: All patients who underwent liver transplantation, and had viable HCC in the explanted liver were included. TLR9-1237C/T and -1486C/T polymorphisms were analyzed by real-time PCR and melting curves analysis. Results: 20 of 159 patients (12.6%) developed post-transplant HCC recurrence. Tumors exceeding Milan criteria, moderately-to-poorly differentiated tumors and microvascular invasion on explants, and pretransplant α-fetoprotein level (all p < 0.01) were associated with an increased risk, while TLR9-1486TT genotype was associated with a decreased risk of HCC recurrence (p = 0.03). Conclusion: TLR9-1486C/T might help to preoperatively identify patients at low risk of post-transplant HCC recurrence.

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Surgical resection significantly promotes the overall survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a propensity score matching analysis

BMC Gastroenterology ◽

10.1186/s12876-021-01807-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yaw-Sen Chen ◽

Pei-Min Hsieh ◽

Hung-Yu Lin ◽

Chao-Ming Hung ◽

Gin-Ho Lo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Overall Survival ◽

Propensity Score ◽

Propensity Score Matching ◽

Surgical Resection ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Hbv Infection ◽

Cox Regression Analysis

Abstract Background The benefits of surgical resection (SR) for various Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stages of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remain unclear. We investigated the risk factors of overall survival (OS) and survival benefits of SR over nonsurgical treatments in patients with HCC of various BCLC stages. Methods Overall, 2316 HCC patients were included, and their clinicopathological data and OS were recorded. OS was analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis. Propensity score matching (PSM) analysis was performed. Results In total, 66 (2.8%), 865 (37.4%), 575 (24.8%) and 870 (35.0%) patients had BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C disease, respectively. Furthermore, 1302 (56.2%) of all patients, and 37 (56.9%), 472 (54.6%), 313 (54.4%) and 480 (59.3%) of patients with BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C disease, respectively, died. The median follow-up duration time was 20 (range 0–96) months for the total cohort and was subdivided into 52 (8–96), 32 (1–96), 19 (0–84), and 12 (0–79) months for BCLC stages 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. The risk factors for OS were (1) SR and cirrhosis; (2) SR, cirrhosis, and Child–Pugh (C–P) class; (3) SR, hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and C–P class; and (4) SR, HBV infection, and C–P class for the BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. Compared to non-SR treatment, SR resulted in significantly higher survival rates in all cohorts. The 5-year OS rates for SR vs. non-SR were 44.0% versus 28.7%, 72.2% versus 42.6%, 42.6% versus 36.2, 44.6% versus 23.5%, and 41.4% versus 15.3% (all P values < 0.05) in the total and BCLC stage 0, A, B, and C cohorts, respectively. After PSM, SR resulted in significantly higher survival rates compared to non-SR treatment in various BCLC stages. Conclusions SR conferred significant survival benefits to patients with HCC of various BCLC stages and should be considered a recommended treatment for select HCC patients, especially patients with BCLC stage B and C disease.

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Achieving Complete Remission of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Significant Predictor for Recurrence-Free Survival after Liver Transplantation

Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology ◽

10.1155/2019/5796074 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2019 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Christin Bürger ◽

Miriam Maschmeier ◽

Anna Hüsing-Kabar ◽

Christian Wilms ◽

Michael Köhler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽

Liver Transplantation ◽

Complete Remission ◽

Tumor Recurrence ◽

Significant Risk ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Special Focus ◽

The Impact ◽

Hcc Recurrence

Background. Liver transplantation (LT) is a curative treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the underlying primary liver disease; however, tumor recurrence is still a major issue. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess predictors and risk factors for HCC recurrence after LT in patients within and outside the Milan criteria with a special focus on the impact of different bridging strategies. Methods. All patients who underwent LT for HCC between 07/2002 and 09/2016 at the University Hospital of Muenster were consecutively included in this retrospective study. Database research was performed and a multivariable regression analysis was conducted to explore potential risk factors for HCC recurrence. Results. A total of 82 patients were eligible for the statistical analysis. Independent of bridging strategy, achieving complete remission (CR) was significantly associated with a lower risk for tumor recurrence (p = 0.029; OR = 0.426, 95% CI 0.198-0.918). A maximal diameter of lesion < 3 cm was also associated with lower recurrence rates (p = 0.040; OR = 0.140, 95% CI 0.022-0.914). Vascular invasion proved to be an independent risk factor for HCC recurrence (p = 0.004; OR = 11.357, 95% CI 2.142-60.199). Conclusion. Achieving CR prior to LT results in a significant risk reduction of HCC recurrence after LT independent of the treatment modalities applied.

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