Liver transplantation as a treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma: a study using existing electronic data

The aim of this project is to investigate the best use of liver transplantation to treat patient’s hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). HCC is the most common form of liver cancer.

Annually over 2000 new cases of HCC are being diagnosed in the UK. Overall survival of HCC patients is poor with less than 30% alive at one year. Prognosis is best for patients who receive a liver transplant with about 75% alive at five years.

The emergence of liver transplantation as a curative option for HCC has increased the gap between patients waiting for transplantation and the availability of suitable livers. Identifying the role of liver transplantation in the treatment of patients with HCC is therefore important in helping to improve outcomes in these patients.

To answer our research questions, we will use data that has already been collected on patients treated in English NHS hospitals. The data will be obtained from three different national datasets and then linked together. It will contain no data items that could be used to directly identify individuals.

The three linked datasets include (a) the liver cancer dataset, managed by the National Cancer Registration and Analysis Service (NCRAS) and used to identify all patients with HCC in England (b) the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) database, managed by NHS Digital and used to determine comorbidities, treatments and outcomes, and (c) the UK Liver Transplant (UKLT) Registry, managed by NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) and used to evaluate the outcome of liver transplantation.

Further information for patients whose data may be included in this study can be found in the fair data processing statement.