Tumor burden and frailty: No association in liver transplantation candidates with hepatocellular carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: Frailty studies in liver transplantation (LT) candidates have largely focused on patients with cirrhosis without hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, HCC patients represent a distinct subgroup-typically older, with better compensated liver disease and more non-hepatic comorbidities. These factors, along with tumor burden, may influence frailty. We aimed to characterize and compare frailty in HCC versus non-HCC LT candidates. We included adults with cirrhosis listed for LT at a single U.S. center (2012-2024) who underwent ambulatory frailty assessment using the Liver Frailty Index (LFI; "frail" = LFI ≥4.4). HCC tumor characteristics at diagnosis-including number of lesions, tumor size, alpha-foetoprotein levels, and initial treatment-were captured using automated extraction. Logistic re

SUBMITTER: Jutras G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12799330 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature