Liver transplantation for intermediate hepatocellular carcinoma: An adaptive approach

Table 4 Liver graft allocation policies for candidates to liver transplantation with and without hepatocellular carcinoma

Principle	Reference outcome	Tools for prioritization		Comments
		Non-HCC	HCC
Urgency	Risk of drop-out from the waiting list	MELD	MELD exception points, adjusted MELD, HCC-MELD equation, deMELD	“Sickest patient first”
Utility	Post-LT patient (graft) survival	DRI, D-MELD	Milan criteria	Donor/recipient matching
Benefit	Post-LT patient benefit	Minimum value of MELD score ≥ 15	HCC-MELD	Feasibility of alternative treatments

LT: Liver transplantation; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma; MELD: Model for end-stage liver disease; DRI: Donor risk index; D-MELD: MELD and donor age.