Milan criteria are useful predictors for favorable outcomes in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing liver transplantation after transarterial chemoembolization

Table 2 Histologic finding-based tumor profiles of patients who met the Milan criteria

Variable	TACE + LT group (n = 36)	LT group (n = 21)	P
Number of nodules
1/2/3/≥4	18/8/3/7	13/3/3/2	0.79
Diameter of the largest tumor (cm)
Mean ± SD	2.5 ± 1.4	2.3 ± 0.9	0.70
Range	0.6-7.5	0.5-4.2
Sum of the tumor diameters (cm)
Mean ± SD	3.8 ± 2.6	3.3 ± 1.3	0.36
Range	0.6-14.0	0.5-7.0
Tumor differentiation1			0.59
Edmonson gradeI	5 (16.7%)	6 (28.6%)
II	22 (73.3%)	13 (61.9%)
III	3 (10%)	2 (9.5%)
Presence of satellite nodule	5 (13.9%)	2 (9.5%)	0.99
Tumor capsule invasion	11 (30.6%)	3 (14.3%)	0.21
Microvascular invasion	11 (30.6%)	9 (42.9%)	0.40

¹Assessment of tumor differentiation was possible in only 30 patients in TACE + LT group due to complete necrosis in 6 patients. TACE: Transarterial chemoembolization; LT: liver transplantation.