Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in recurrent unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma after orthotopic liver transplantation

Aim: To investigate the survivals and efficacy of the doxorubicin drug eluting beads transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) status post orthotopic liver transplantation.Methods: Consecutive patients with HCC who underwent orthotopic liver transplantation from 2005 to 2012 were reviewed. Patients who developed recurrent HCC after orthotopic liver transplantation and received doxorubicin drug eluting beads TACE therapy were identified and included in the study. Survivals were calculated from the time of 1st doxorubicin drug eluting beads TACE of recurrent HCC. Kaplan Meier estimator with log rank test was used for survival analysis.Results: Eight patients had recurrent HCC after orthotopic liver transplantation and received doxorubicin drug eluting beads TACE. The overall median survival of these patients was 15.6 months. Two patients had significantly poorer overall median survival from doxorubicin drug eluting beads TACE (3.4 months) and both showed elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels (> 400 ng/mL) and extra-hepatic metastases (P = 0.03). Patients with poorly differentiated HCC in explant liver had the poor median overall survival (3.6 months) compared to the patients with well-to-moderately differentiated HCC (21.7 months, P = 0.004).Conclusion: Doxorubicin drug eluting beads TACE appears to be an effective treatment option for patients with recurrent HCC after orthotopic liver transplantation