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Study eyes liver transplantation after Region 5 UNOS downstaging

Downstaging cancer improves outcomes

FROM CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY


“Slight refinements in the inclusion criteria for downstaging seem warranted [given] that all Child’s B/C patients with pretreatment alpha-fetoprotein greater than 1000 ng/mL suffered poor outcomes when downstaging was attempted,” the investigators noted. They reported that the 1-year risk of failed downstaging was 70% among patients with both Child’s B/C cirrhosis and alpha-fetoprotein level at or above 1000 ng/mL, 32% among patients with one risk factor, and 14% among patients with no risk factors (P less than .001).

The National Institutes of Health provided partial funding. The investigators reported having no conflicts of interest.

SOURCE: Mehta N, et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2017 Nov 23. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2017.11.037.