Liver transplantation may be a good choice for some primary liver cancer patients, which is also known as hepatocellular carcinoma.
The most common liver cancer transplant surgery is orthotopic transplantation. With this liver cancer treatment, the entire organ containing the tumors is replaced with a healthy donated liver.
There is always the risk that cancer cells are still present elsewhere in the body and will implant themselves in the new liver or in other tissues.
Transplanting the liver is possible in a few people with primary liver cancer. Base on statistics, only about 5% of hepatocellular carcinoma patients are suitable for transplantation; these patients may have a 5-year survival of greater than 75% with tumor recurrence rates as low as 15% at 5 years.
A transplant may be suitable for patients with,
- 3 small tumors no larger than 3cm in diameter each
- A single tumor no more than 5cm in diameter
- A single tumor no more than 5 to 7cm in diameter if it has been stable for at least 6 months
As a liver cancer treatment, this technique may combine with other local therapies such as chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Patients whose disease is downstaged following chemoembolization may be eligible for transplantation.
A liver transplant as a liver cancer treatment is not an option when the cancer has spread out of the liver. Cancer cells elsewhere in the body would be left behind even if the liver was removed. So the surgery would not cure the cancer.
