Liver transplantation for diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatocellular carcinoma in rats.

H UMAN hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant tumor with a natural history of a few months from the time of diagnosis. Curative resection offers the best chance of survival. l However, surgical resectability rates rarely exceed 30% to 40% because of extensiveness of the tumors or because coexisting liver disease precludes attempted partial hepatectomy.2 Consequently, total liver removal and replacement have been used extensively as a therapeutic option. 3 Because the rate of recurrence after liver transplantation has been high,3-9 it has been speculated that the requisite immunosuppressive agents may enhance the recurrence of original malignancies by weakening immune surveillance.3lo In the present study, we have tested this hypothesis by inducing HCC in rats by multiple injections of diethylnitrosamine (DEN), followed by isogeneic liver transplantation with and without immunosuppression with FK 506 and cyclosporine (CyA). The results were inconclusive.