Overview

LIRICA is a prospective non-randomized study aimed at exploring the outcome of liver transplantation in selected patients with unresectable iCCA after a downstaging/disease control protocol with standard of care chemotherapy, in terms of overall survival and quality of life. Additionally, the study aims to identify pre-transplant biological markers and clinical factors that can stratify patients with the best post-transplant prognosis. Finally, the study aims to investigate the role of preoperative PET-MR, especially in relation to lymph node locations, by correlating the results with histological examination after iliac lymphadenectomy.

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Histologically confirmed diagnosis of iCCA
• First diagnosis of iCCA
• Recurrence after R0 hepatic resection, N0, M0 without macrovascular invasion
• Disease considered unsuitable for hepatic resection based on tumor location and extent or underlying liver dysfunction
• Absence of major vascular invasion, extrahepatic disease, or involvement of regional lymph nodes detected on radiological study
• No evidence of extrahepatic metastatic disease after chest-abdomen-pelvis CT and PET-MR (or PET-CT)
• At least six months have passed since the first diagnosis of iCCA (or recurrence) to the date of inclusion on the liver transplant waiting list
• The patient has received at least six months of SOC chemotherapy, achieving disease stability or partial response (according to RECIST version 1.1) at the time of listing for transplantation
• Hematochemical evaluation: Hb ≥ 9 g/dL, Leukocytes ≥ 3.0 X 109/L, Neutrophils ≥ 1.5 X 109/L, Platelets ≥ 100,000/mm3 (≥ 10 X 109/L), Total Bilirubin ≤ 3 mg/dL (≤ 51 umol/L), AST or ALT ≤ 5 times the upper limit of normal, Serum Creatinine and Urea < 1.5 times the upper limit of normal
• ECOG (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group) performance status ≤ 1
• Patient's BMI ≥ 18 and ≤ 30 kg/m2
• Signed informed consent, and expected patient cooperation for treatment and follow-up, must be obtained and documented according to good clinical practice and national/local regulations

Exclusion Criteria:

• Tumor involving nearby extrahepatic structures (including involvement of major hepatic vessels) by direct invasion (T4 per AJCC 8th edition)
• Tumor penetrating the visceral peritoneum (T3 per AJCC 8th edition)
• Previous extrahepatic metastatic disease
• Prior neoplasms, except those treated curatively for more than 5 years without recurrence
• Known history of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Known history of solid organ or bone marrow transplantation
• Substance abuse and medical, psychological, or social conditions that may interfere with the patient's participation in the study or with the evaluation of study outcomes
• Pregnant or breastfeeding women
• Medical-surgical contraindications for liver transplantation
• Any reason for which, in the investigator's judgment, the patient should not participate in the study