Evaluation of the treatment of the hepatocarcinoma nodules in the patients in waiting list for liver transplant

ABSTRACT Objective: to compare the outcome of liver transplantation for hepatocarcinoma in submitted or not to locoregional treatment and downstaging regarding survival and risk of recurrence in transplant waiting list patients. Methods: retrospective study of patients with hepatocarcinoma undergoing liver transplantation in the metropolitan region of São Paulo, between January 2007 and December 2011, from a deceased donor. The sample consisted of 414 patients. Of these, 29 patients were included in the list by downstaging. The other 385 were submitted or not to locoregional treatment. Results: the analysis of 414 medical records showed a predominance of male patients (79.5%) with average age of 56 years. Treatment of the lesions was performed in 56.4% of patients on the waiting list for transplant. The most commonly used method was chemoembolization (79%). The locoregional patients undergoing treatment had a significant reduction in nodule size greater (p<0.001). There was no statistical difference between groups with and without locoregional treatment (p=0.744) and on mortality among patients enrolled in the Milan criteria or downstaging (p=0.494). Conclusion: there was no difference in survival and recurrence rate associated with locoregional treatment. Patients included by downstaging process had comparable survival results to those previously classified as Milan/Brazil criteria.