Ep. 521 Surgery for HCC: What’s its Role Today?

Is surgery truly the "cure" for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and when is it a viable option? In this episode, Dr. Sabeen Dhand leads a roundtable discussion with interventional radiologist Dr. Siddharth Padia and transplant/hepatobiliary surgeons Dr. John Seal and Dr. Gabriel Schnickel, delving into the complexities of surgical treatments for HCC and the evolving landscape of liver resection and transplantation. Physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants can follow this link to earn CME / CE credits for completing an accredited learning activity related to this discussion: https://www.cmeuniversity.com/course/take/125741 --- This podcast is supported by an educational grant from AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals and Boston Scientific. --- SYNPOSIS The doctors begin by discussing how they manage patient expectations regarding both palliative and curative treatments, highlighting the risk of recurrent HCC as a new lesion. They then outline key factors that influence their recommendations for liver transplant versus resection, such as the extent of underlying liver disease, the function of the future liver remnant, body habitus, overall health, and organ availability. The surgeons also review various surgical approaches to liver resection and recent advancements in liver transplantation, including living donor transplants and the ability to refer patients for downstaging procedures. Dr. Padia explains the original role of Y90 as a bridging treatment to downstage tumors and promote hypertrophy in the non-diseased liver segments, preparing the organ for surgical resection. However, Y90 treatment can also lead to the formation of adhesions, which may complicate future surgeries. Finally, the doctors discuss strategies to improve care coordination between community physicians and transplant centers to optimize patient outcomes. --- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Curative vs. Palliative Treatment 04:03 - Choosing Between Transplantation and Resection 05:47 - Liver Resection Types 07:27 - Bridging Role of Y90 12:14 - Evolving Landscape of Liver Transplantation 20:59 - Patient Counseling in Minimally Invasive Procedures 28:40 - Considerations for Surgery After Y90 33:32 - Coordination Between Specialists 40:08 - Immunotherapy as a Bridge to Transplant --- RESOURCES CME Accreditation Information: https://f7cae4ec-b69e-490d-9e0f-19b16a6f146d.usrfiles.com/ugd/f7cae4_a7c37ea3cd1b4d3fa53d5edf8dfe255b.pdf