Transplant oncology transforms liver cancer treatment with new surgical options

Transplant oncology is transforming liver cancer treatment by replacing diseased livers with healthy ones, enabling cures for patients previously deemed inoperable. This approach removes all tumors and restores normal liver function in a single operation. The field relies on careful patient selection using tumor biology markers like AFP and PIVKA-II, with downstaging shrinking tumors to make previously ineligible patients transplant candidates. Roughly half of selected patients successfully downstage, and those transplanted after observation show strong outcomes. Beyond hepatocellular carcinoma, the approach now covers bile duct cancers, colorectal and neuroendocrine liver metastases, and pediatric liver cancers. Case examples show patients with advanced disease achieving cancer-free survival nearly two years post-transplant.