Liver Transplantation for Primary or Metastatic Sarcoma to the Liver

Abstract

Sarcoma is generally a rare disease in the US, with poor survival in patients with both primary angiosarcoma and metastatic disease from sarcoma and GIST. In order to determine if liver transplantation for sarcoma is a realistic option, we examined records of all patients in the US component of the Israel Penn International Transplant Tumor Registry were reviewed. Those patients with liver failure from primary or metastatic liver sarcoma were evaluated. Patient outcome analysis was then performed. Patient and tumor demographics were reviewed as well as patient survival after transplantation. 19 patients are identified having received liver transplantation after treatment for sarcoma of the liver, 6 patients with primary hepatic sarcoma and 13 patients with metastatic sarcoma of the liver. Recurrence was almost universal in 18 of 19 patients (95%) after a median interval of 6 months. Survival for the group as a whole was 47% for 1-year, 15% for 3-years and 5% for 5-years. Given the early recurrence of tumor and meager 1-year survival outcome, liver transplantation is a poor therapeutic choice for patients with either primary or metastatic liver sarcoma, including high-grade leiomyosarcoma (GIST) regardless of primary site or primary therapy.