Liver transplantation for acute hepatic failure due to chemotherapy-induced HBV reactivation in lymphoma patients.

Hepatitis B (HBV) reactivation induced by chemotherapy is problem encountered recently in the management of malignant diseases. Chemotherapy-induced HBV reactivation may ultimately lead to terminal acute liver failure. Liver transplantation (LT) currently remains the only definitive treatment option for such cases, but is generally denied to patients suffering from malignancy. Here, the authors describe 2 cases of cancer-free and HBV graft re-infection-free survival after LT performed for terminal liver failure arising from HBV reactivation induced by chemotherapy for advanced stage lymphoma. These 2 cases, and some other reports in the literature, may suggest that patients suffering from hematologic malignancies and terminal liver disease can be considered for LT if the prognosis of their hematologic malignancy is good.