Transplant Oncology
Combining Cancer Expertise and Transplant Innovation for Liver Patients
Transplant Oncology is a new and growing field of transplant medicine that brings together cancer treatment and organ transplantation. At Lahey Hospital & Medical Center, we offer a multidisciplinary team approach to care for patients with liver cancer. Our goal is to offer liver transplantation as a potential cure for carefully selected patients.
Our Transplant Oncology team includes specialists from many areas — transplant surgeons, transplant hepatologists, medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, intervention radiologists, colorectal surgeons and liver pathologists. Together, we review each patient’s case closely to decide whether a liver transplant could be a safe and effective part of their liver cancer treatment.
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 been diagnosed with one of these conditions, our Transplant Oncology team is here to help. We are committed to guiding you through your treatment options with expert care and compassion.
Colorectal Cancer with Liver Metastases: Is Transplant an Option?
About 1 in 4 people with colorectal cancer (cancer of the colon or rectum) will have the cancer spread to their liver. This is called liver metastasis. Sometimes the liver is already affected when colorectal cancer is first diagnosed. Other times, it can happen months or years after the original cancer is treated.
In some cases, liver tumors can be removed with surgery. However, the cancer often comes back — commonly in the liver — within three years in up to 70% of patients. For certain patients with liver metastases that cannot be removed with surgery (unresectable tumors), liver transplantation may be a treatment option. Recent research, including the TRANSMET study, has shown that liver transplant can offer a 5-year survival rate of over 60% — similar to other reasons people get liver transplants. It may also help patients live longer without the cancer progressing, compared to chemotherapy alone.
At our center, each case is carefully reviewed by our transplant oncology team, which includes:
- A medical oncologist (cancer specialist)
- A transplant hepatologist (liver specialist)
- A colorectal surgeon
- A transplant surgeon
We look at many factors when deciding if a liver transplant is the right option, including:
- The stage and location of your cancer
- Results from genetic and molecular testing
- How your cancer has responded to treatment
- Your overall health and physical condition
If you have colorectal cancer with liver metastases and want to learn more about liver transplant as a treatment option, we are here to help you understand your choices.
Explore Your Options with Experts Who Care
Have questions about your diagnosis or treatment options? Call our Transplant Oncology team at 781-744-2500 — we’re here to help.
