Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the 7th most common cancer overall and the 3rd most common cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Before the criteria for liver transplantation were established, the surgical procedure was performed for advanced staged HCC with a poor outcome. Since the landmark report of the Milan criteria by Mazzaferro, which demonstrated comparable outcomes of patients with HCC having a single tumor smaller than 5 cm in diameter or up to 3 tumors smaller than 3 cm in diameter with no vascular invasion or extra-hepatic disease determined by preoperative imaging studies, liver transplantation has become an established treatment for cirrhotic patients with HCC.

This focused issue is available on: Part I and Part II.