Liver Cancer & Transplant
Combining cancer expertise and transplant innovation
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Transplant Oncology for Cancer Treatment
If you have cancer in your liver, a liver transplant may be an option to treat it. The transplant oncology team at Lahey Clinic offers this treatment to select patients. In some cases, a liver transplant may potentially cure their cancer.
Who Qualifies for Liver Transplantation?
Cancer can begin in your liver or spread there from another part of your body. We offer liver transplantation for selected patients diagnosed with::
- Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
- Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma)
- Colon or rectal cancer that has spread to the liver
- Neuroendocrine tumor that has spread to the liver
- Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE)
- Hepatoblastoma (a rare liver cancer in children)
- Large or complex hepatic adenomas
If you or a loved one has one of these diagnoses, our team carefully reviews your case. Together, we determine whether a liver transplant could be a safe and effective part of your cancer treatment.
Colorectal Cancer That Has Spread to the Liver
Roughly one in four people with cancer of the colon or rectum will have their cancer spread to their liver. This is called metastases. Sometimes, cancer is present in the liver at the time of diagnosis.
Other times, it shows up there months or even years after we treat the original disease.
Often, we can remove liver tumors with surgery. However, in up to 70% of these people, cancer returns within three years — commonly in the liver. For certain people whose cancer we cannot remove with surgery, a liver transplant may be an option.
Research has shown that more than 60% of people who receive a transplant will be alive five years later. Transplant may also help you live longer without the cancer progressing, compared to chemotherapy alone.
Your Multidisciplinary Transplant Oncology Team
Experts in our transplant oncology program include:
- Colorectal surgeons
- Interventional radiologists
- Liver pathologists
- Medical oncologists
- Radiation oncologists
- Transplant hepatologists (liver specialists)
- Transplant surgeons
Appropriate team members review your case together, looking at factors such as:
- How your cancer has responded to treatment
- Results from genetic and molecular testing
- The stage and location of your cancer
- Your overall health and physical condition
The team uses this information to decide if a liver transplant may be right for you. If it is, our experts will discuss your options and guide you through the process.
