Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is a treatment option for select patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastasis (uCRLM). We describe our center's experience of patient selection, insurance approval, and outcomes after LDLT after first referral in March 2019. Of the 206 evaluated patients, twenty-three underwent LDLT. We found that patients who were referred earlier in their oncologic course were more likely to be eligible for transplantation. After completion of the Rochester Protocol for LDLT eligibility, recipients had a median delay of care of 10 days (IQR 0-36) related to insurance appeal, with six patients (30%) having a delay longer than 30 days. LDLT recipients had an overall survival proportion of 100% and 91% at 1, and 3 years; and a recurrence-free survival proportion of 100% and 40%, at 1 and 3 years, respectively. All donors underwent right hepatectomy, of which only one donor had a Clavien-Dindo IIIa complication and readmission. There was no donor mortality. We assert that multidisciplinary care and strict patient selection through the Rochester Protocol were paramount to our center's success. In the appropriately selected patient, LDLT for uCRLM may be justified, and patients should be referred to transplant oncology centers for evaluation.
17 November 2023 in The Lancet Regional Health - Americas
Healthcare systems in Latin America are broadly heterogeneous, but all of them are burdened by a dramatic rise in liver disease. Some challenges that these countries face include an increase in patients requiring a transplant, insufficient rates of organ donation, delayed referral, and inequitable or suboptimal access to liver transplant programs and post-transplant care. This could be improved by expanding the donor pool through the implementation of education programs for citizens and referring physicians, as well as the inclusion of extended criteria donors, living donors and split liver transplantation. Addressing these shortcomings will require national shifts aimed at improving infrastructure, increasing awareness of organ donation, training medical personnel, and providing equitable access to care for all patients.
We report a case of a 55-year-old male with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) who underwent living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) after complete radiographic response on second-line pemigatinib. LDLT for iCCA is controversial, but recent reports have cited the potential benefit for patients with unresectable disease, especially those with disease stability after 6 months of systemic therapy. Concomitantly, genomic profiling has identified potentially treatable oncologic targets in iCCA. This patient's tumor genomic profile revealed an FGFR2 rearrangement and was treated with pemigatinib, a competitive inhibitor for fibroblast growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3. This resulted in a complete radiographic and metabolic response after 2 months of treatment. He was considered eligible for LDLT after 6 months of observation on treatment with a sustained response. He underwent an uncomplicated LDLT (including an uncomplicated donor surgery) and at a 1-year follow-up is without evidence of disease recurrence. We believe this is the first report of LDLT for this indication.
26 September 2023 in American Journal of Transplantation
The TransMet trial and Norwegian studies have shown excellent outcomes in highly selected patients undergoing liver transplant (LT) for unresectable colorectal liver metastases (uCRLM). Our aim is to provide an updated analysis of the current state of LT for uCRLM in the United States. Adult patients with a diagnosis of uCRLM listed for LT between December 2017 and March 2025 were identified from the United Network for Organ Sharing database and analyzed. An analysis of living donor LT (LDLT) and deceased donor LT (DDLT) was performed. During this period, 222 patients were listed, and 158 received an LT across 33 centers. Of these, 76 (48.1%) underwent LDLT, and 82 patients (51.9%) underwent DDLT. Of the 82 deceased donors, 56 (68.2%) were out-of-sequence offers. Overall, the 3-year survival and disease-free survival rates were 66.7% and 44.0%, respectively. The 3-year survival for LDLT and DDLT was 74.1% and 57.3% ( p =0.04), respectively. While these results have not yet reached the acceptable threshold established for other LT indications, they have improved and are expected to continue improving after the implementation of prioritization points. Given the potential variability of oncologic selection criteria and graft quality, we call for the standardization of nationally accepted selection criteria for listing patients for LT with uCRLM and for providing early access to high-quality organs. To achieve this, it is imperative to create, update, and maintain national databases that allow for the collection of more granular oncological variables.