Transplant Oncology Program

Transplant Oncology is a new concept encompassing multiple disciplines of transplantation medicine, surgery and oncology designed to test the limits of treatment and research for selected cancers. Liver transplantation is indicated as a curative treatment for patients with end stage liver disease and for selected patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Traditionally liver transplantation was considered a contraindication for other cancers. However, with recent therapeutic advances, as well as efforts to increase the donor pool, liver transplantation has been carefully expanded to patients with other primary or secondary malignancies in the liver. Cholangiocarcinoma, colorectal and neuroendocrine liver metastases are amongst the most relevant new indications.

In 2018 we established the Transplant Oncology Program at RPA Hospital, initially limited to hilar cholangiocarcinoma. Through the program, two clinical trials are now evaluating liver transplantation as treatment for patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and colorectal metastases.