Prognostic Value of 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography After Transarterial Chemoembolization in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma Undergoing Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

• Published in: Transplantation proceedings 2015-10, Vol.47 (8), p.2374-2376
• Main Authors: Cascales-Campos, P.A, Ramírez, P, Lopez, V, Gonzalez, R, Saenz-Mateos, L, Llacer, E, Sánchez Bueno, F, Robles, R, Pons, J.A, Capel, A, Frutos, L, Navarro, J.L, Muñoz-Ramon, P, Parrilla, P
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - complications; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - diagnostic imaging; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic - methods; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Humans; Liver Cirrhosis - complications; Liver Cirrhosis - therapy; Liver Neoplasms - complications; Liver Neoplasms - diagnostic imaging; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Liver Transplantation; Male; Middle Aged; Multimodal Imaging; Necrosis; Positron-Emission Tomography; Prognosis; Radiopharmaceuticals; Retrospective Studies; Surgery; Survival Rate; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Vascular Surgical Procedures
• ISSN: 0041-1345; 1873-2623
• DOI: 10.1016/j.transproceed.2015.08.026

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between 18-FDG positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), histological necrosis, and prognosis after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). Patients From January 2007 through December 2013, 81 patients with HCC and liver cirrhosis were included in our liver transplantation program. For this study we selected patients who underwent 18-FDG PET/CT pre-TACE and post-TACE. All patients underwent liver transplantation within 8 weeks after PET/CT. Results Twenty patients with a median age of 58 years (range, 46–69 years) underwent an 18-FDG PET/CT before and after TACE. The median Standardized Uptake Value (SUV) before TACE was 3.8 (range, 2.6–8.7), with a median post-TACE SUV of 0% (range, 0–4). Among patients whose post-TACE SUV decreased to 70% necrosis was observed upon study of a hepatectomy sample, with a survival rate of 100% and 80% at 1 and 3 years, respectively. Conclusion In conclusion, performance of an 18-FDG PET/CT before and after TACE with comparison of SUV values among patients with HCC awaiting OLT provided valuable information regarding the effectiveness of TACE.