Milan criteria

Milan criteria is a set of criteria used to determine the suitability of a patient with HCC for liver transplant. The criteria were established in Milan, Italy, hence the name.

History

The Milan criteria were first proposed in 1996 by a team of researchers led by Massimo Colombo. The team conducted a study on patients with HCC who underwent liver transplantation and found that those who met the criteria had a significantly better survival rate.

Criteria

The Milan criteria include the following:

• One liver tumor that is 5 cm or smaller in diameter.
• Up to three liver tumors, none larger than 3 cm.
• No evidence of cancer spread outside the liver.

Use

The Milan criteria are widely used around the world to determine the eligibility of patients with HCC for liver transplantation. They are endorsed by the WHO and the AASLD.

Criticism

Some critics argue that the Milan criteria are too restrictive and exclude many patients who could benefit from a liver transplant. In response to this criticism, several alternative criteria have been proposed, including the UCSF criteria and the Up-to-seven criteria.

See also

• Liver transplantation
• Hepatocellular carcinoma
• Liver tumor
• Cancer metastasis
• World Health Organization
• American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
• UCSF criteria
• Up-to-seven criteria