Multidisciplinary tumor board is associated with improved survival in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation

Table 1 Patient and tumor characteristics

Characteristic	MDTB group (n = 117)	non-MDTB group (n = 276)	P value
Gender, male/female	73/44	189/87	0.651
Age, years	52.7 ± 17.1	49.2 ± 15.8	0.219
Indication for transplantation
Hepatitis B cirrhosis	84 (71.8)	208 (75.4)	0.662
Alcoholic cirrhosis	18 (15.4)	39 (14.1)	0.772
Other	15 (12.8)	29 (10.5)	> 0.990
MELD score at transplantation	17.1 ± 4.7	16.5 ± 4.9	0.215
PreOP biology
Total bilirubin, μmol/L	79.5 ± 76.9	74.7 ± 68.2	0.841
Serum creatinine, μmol/L	86.1 ± 72.6	82.6 ± 66.3	0.377
INR	1.4 ± 0.6	1.5 ± 0.6	0.447
Plasma ammonia, μmol/L	39.7 ± 21.5	42.6 ± 23.4	0.669
AFP, ng/mL1	23.4 (7-194)	30.1 (7-388)	0.165
PIVKA-II, mAU/mL1	39.5 (19-372)	47.3 (21-463)	0.312
Waiting time for LT
From HCC diagnosis, months	3.3 ± 2.6	2.9 ± 2.5	0.153
From listing, days	47.8 ± 51.4	44.7 ± 48.8	0.571
Radiological characteristics
Number of nodules	2.4 ± 1.3	2.3 ± 1.3	0.486
Size of the largest nodule, mm	47.9 ± 18.3	45.6 ± 17.9	0.248
Multifocal tumors	41 (35)	88 (31.9)	0.652
UCSF criteria			0.499
Within UCSF criteria	68 (58.1)	171 (61.9)
Exceeding UCSF criteria	49 (41.9)	105 (38.1)
Bridging therapy	87 (74.4)	139 (50.4)	0.021
TACE	65 (55.6)	86 (31.5)	< 0.001
RFA	11 (9.4)	28 (10.1)	> 0.990
SBRT	2 (1.7)	3 (1.1)	0.637
Resection	4 (3.4)	8 (2.9)	0.756
Other	5 (4.3)	14 (5.1)	> 0.990
Pathological characteristics
Poorly (Edmonson grade III/IV)	56 (47.8)	129 (46.7)	0.912
(Micro-) vascular invasion	37 (31.6)	82 (29.7)	0.719
Capsular invasion	33 (28.2)	77 (27.9)	> 0.990

Data are presented as n (%).

¹Data presented as median (quartile).

AFP: Alpha-fetoprotein; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; INR: International normalization ratio; LT: Liver transplantation; MDTB: Multidisciplinary tumor board; MELD: Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; OP: Operative; PIVKA-II: Protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonists-II; RFA: Radiofrequency ablation; SBRT: Stereotactic body radiation therapy; TACE: Transhepatic arterial chemoembolization; UCSF: University of California, San Francisco.

Table 2 Donor characteristics

Characteristics	MDTB group (n = 117)	non-MDTB group (n = 276)	P value
Gender, male/female	84/33	179/97	> 0.990
Age, years	41.5 ± 16.9	43.3 ± 17.2	0.665
Cause of death
Cerebral trauma	65 (55.6)	148 (53.6)	> 0.990
Cerebrovascular accident	27 (23.1)	53 (19.2)	0.792
Brain tumor (glioma)	11 (9.4)	33 (11.9)	0.735
Hypoxic brain injury	5 (4.3)	20 (7.2)	0.672
Other	9 (7.7)	22 (7.9)	> 0.990
ICU stay, days	2.85 ± 2.05	2.93 ± 2.24	0.798

Data are presented as n (%). ICU: Intensive care unit; MDTB: Multidisciplinary tumor board.

Table 3 Patient outcomes

Outcomes	MDTB group (n = 117)	non-MDTB group (n = 276)	P value
Complications grade III/IV	24 (20.5)	71 (25.7)	0.304
Post-operative deaths	9 (7.7)	28 (10.1)	0.572
Tumor progression/MOF	2 (1.7)	10 (3.6)
Sepsis	3 (2.6)	9 (3.2)
ARDS	2 (1.7)	4 (1.4)
Sudden cardiac arrest	1 (0.8)	3 (1.1)
GVHD	1 (0.8)	2 (0.7)
Re-transplantation	12 (10.3)	23 (8.3)	0.563
Hepatic graft dysfunction	6 (5.1)	10 (3.6)
Cholestatic graft dysfunction	4 (3.4)	9 (3.3)
Hepatic artery thrombosis	2 (1.7)	4 (1.4)
Tumor recurrence	24 (20.8)	87 (31.5)	0.104
Liver only	8 (6.8)	26 (9.4)
Liver and other	7 (5.9)	24 (8.7)
Other	14 (11.9)	37 (13.4)
Recurrence time, months	28.7 ± 14.9	21.5 ± 10.3	< 0.001

Data are presented as n (%). ARDS: Acute respiratory distress syndrome; GVHD: Graft versus host disease; MDTB: Multidisciplinary tumor board; MOF: Multiple organ failure.