Differential aging trends among candidates for liver transplant with and without HCC.

Abstract

HCC has become a leading indication for liver transplant (LT), with HCC registrants increasing more than 6-fold in the past 2 decades, accompanied by a significant rise in older candidates. Given this trend and the influence of hepatitis C (HCV) treatments, updated data on aging and changing etiologies in older patients with HCC are needed. This study examines age trends, clinical characteristics, and transplant outcomes by comparing older (70+), younger patients with HCC, and patients without HCC. All adult candidates for LT (18+) in the UNOS/OPTN registry (2012-2022) were analyzed and categorized by HCC status and age (<70 or 70+). Regression coefficients compared HCC and non-HCC registrants and recipients by age group. The aging trend among LT registrants was more pronounced in patients with HCC. From 2012 to 2022, the mean age of HCC registrants rose from 58.7 to 62.9, with those aged 70+ increasing from 4.2% to 15.0%. Non-HCC registrants saw minimal change, with a stable mean age of 53 years and a modest rise in those 70+ from 2.1% to 4.7%. HCV prevalence among patients with HCC decreased from 37.5% to 27.4%, while patients without HCC dropped from 14.8% to 5%. Posttransplant outcomes for older HCC recipients remained favorable, with 1-year and 5-year survival rates of 91% and 71%, respectively, comparable to older patients without HCC (87% and 69%). Among over 132,000 LT registrants from 2012 to 2022, the age of HCC candidates increased, with a growing proportion aged 70 and older, while the age and proportion of older adults among non-HCC registrants remained stable. This demographic shift underscores the importance of enhanced frailty assessments to improve outcomes for older patients with HCC.