Indication of Liver Transplant for HCC: Current Status and Future Directions

Liver transplantation remains the gold-standard treatment for cirrhotic patients with early stage, surgically unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this review, we describe the current state of liver transplantation (LT) for HCC.

We review recent advances in expanded indications for LT, diagnostics with liquid biopsy and biomarkers, and the emerging role of immunotherapy in this patient population.

Although the shortage of liver allografts necessitates a restrictive HCC selection policy, future advances in patient selection, liquid biopsy technologies and systemic therapies have the potential to improve access to liver transplantation even in patients with expanded indications, without compromising on post-transplant outcomes.