In hepatocellular carcinoma, liver transplantation is preferred over hepatic resection when tumor burden meets Milan criteria and the patient has suitable liver function and comorbidity profile. Which option best captures this criterion?

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The key idea is using tumor burden and liver reserve to decide transplant candidacy in hepatocellular carcinoma. Milan criteria define a transplant-eligible tumor burden as a single lesion ≤5 cm or up to three lesions each ≤3 cm, with no macrovascular invasion and no extrahepatic spread, plus adequate liver function and reasonable overall health. When these conditions are met, liver transplantation is preferred because it removes the tumor and replaces the diseased liver, offering the best chance to cure the cancer and treat cirrhosis, with a favorable balance of recurrence risk.

This is best captured by the statement that transplantation is considered when tumor burden meets Milan criteria and liver function is suitable. The other options are narrower or describe contraindications (for example, a solitary lesion <2 cm is not the full Milan criterion, and portal vein thrombosis or extensive extrahepatic disease generally excludes transplantation).