Key clinical point : Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels during liver transplantation (LT) and their modulation while on the waitlist are predictors of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) recurrence after LT in patients meeting the Milan criteria.
Main finding: An AFP value >25.5 ng/mL (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.69) could strongly predict HCC recurrence after LT (subdistribution hazard ratio, 2.5; P = .01), which also showed a significant association with an increase in AFP levels by >20.8% while on the waitlist ( P = .034).
Study details: The data are derived from a retrospective single-center study that analyzed 207 patients with HCC fulfilling the Milan criteria who were put on the waitlist for LT and had AFP levels > 400 ng/mL at transplant.
Disclosures: Financial support for the study was provided by the association Friends of transplantation. The authors reported no conflict of interests.
Source: Magro B et al. Cancers. 2021 Nov 27. doi: 10.3390/cancers13235976 .