Liver Transplant Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Liver Transplant, including details on risks, prognosis, procedure, surgery, organ donation.

Negative impact of de novo malignancies rather than alcohol relapse on survival after liver transplantation for alcoholic cirrhosis: a retrospective analysis of 305 patients in a single center.

Dumortier J, Guillaud O, Adham M, Boucaud C, Delafosse B, Bouffard Y, Paliard P, Scoazec JY, Boillot O

Fédération des Spécialités Digestives, and Unité de Transplantation Hépatique, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.

OBJECTIVES: Alcoholic liver disease is a leading indication for liver transplantation (LT). The aim of this study was to evaluate long-term results and survival prognostic factors of LT in this indication from a large cohort of patients. METHODS: From October 1990 to October 2005, 305 consecutive patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (from 594 patients presenting with cirrhosis, i.e., 51.3%) underwent LT in our center. There were 229 men and 76 women, with a median age of 50 yr (range 30-68). Clinical and biological variables with possible prognostic value were analyzed. RESULTS: Global survival rate was 92.6% at 1 yr, 88.5% at 3 yr, 84.3% at 5 yr, and 73.4% at 10 yr, and was similar (P=0.78, log-rank test) to that of patients transplanted for other cirrhosis (88.8% at 1 yr, 84.1% at 3 yr, 80.6% at 5 yr, and 74.7% at 10 yr). Recurrence of alcohol consumption was observed in 37 patients (12.1%). De novo cancer occurred in 35 patients after LT (11.5%). Univariate analysis disclosed that male gender, history of smoking, and de novo carcinoma were significant survival prognostic factors (P<0.05, log-rank test). CONCLUSIONS: Our results strongly confirm that alcoholic liver disease is an excellent indication for LT, but long-term survival is reduced because of other target-organ damage of both alcohol and tobacco, especially aero-digestive malignancies, which are greater causes of morbidity and mortality than is recurrent alcohol liver disease.

Published 10 May 2007 in Am J Gastroenterol, 102(5): 1032-41.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Liver Transplant Research Today. All Rights Reserved.