The Real Impact of Bridging or Downstaging on Survival Outcomes after Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

The impact of bridging therapy on survival outcomes is limited in patients with early-stage HCC, whereas OPTN T1 or T2 with progression provides worse prognosis. OPTN T3 should undergo LT after successful downstaging, and OPTN T3 with successful downstaging allows for acceptable long-term posttransplant outcomes.