Retrospective comparative analyses of liver transplantation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma versus hepatocellular carcinoma in Brazil.

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing interest in liver transplantation for cholangiocarcinomas (CCA), conclusive evidence is lacking. We sought to evaluate the outcomes of liver transplantation for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in Brazil.

METHODS

Retrospective database analysis of patients undergoing liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) within Milan criteria in São Paulo, Brazil. Anatomopathological examination of the explanted liver with the presence of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) or combined hepatocellular-cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCA) comprised the study group (50 patients). They were compared to a 1:3 HCC-matched cohort.

RESULTS

Study group had lower survival rates than HCC controls (survival at 1, 3, and 5 years, 70.0 %, 57.5 %, and 57.5 % versus 78.7 %, 71.4 %, and 66.6 %, p = 0.019). 5-year survival rates of the control group, cHCC-CCA, and iCCA group were 66.6 %, 59.6 %, and 50.0 % (p = 0.017). There was no statistically significant difference in survival for study group patients with tumors up to 3 cm compared to their controls (p = 0.086).

DISCUSSION: Patients with CCA had worse outcomes after liver transplantation than those with HCC. Interesting results were found in the more individualized analyses, but because of the limited number of patients, caution should be taken when analyzing them.