HOW CAN TRANSPLANT HELP

WHAT IS LIVER CANCER?

Liver disease is the increase and spread of unhealthy cells in the liver. Cancer that begins in the liver is called initial liver cancer. Cancer that flows to the liver from another organ is called metastatic liver cancer.

  

HOW CAN TRANSPLANT HELP?

Liver transplantation can be a probability for those liver cancer patients whose tumors cannot be surgically separated. With this method, a liver that has been damaged with cancer can be replaced with a healthy donor liver. However, liver transplantation is not easy as there are very few numbers of liver donations.

AT WHAT STAGE CAN LIVER BE TRANSPLANTED?

Usually, there is a collection of rules to decided who is the best possible candidate for a successful liver transplant called Milan criteria to which doctors adhere. According to the criteria, the liver needs to:

·         Have only one tumor of 5 cm or less. If there are multiple tumors the largest must be 3 cm or less.

·         Have a tumor that has not metastasized

·         However, some minor changes are being considered to these set of rules so that the number of patients has a hope of getting treated.

WHAT IS THE SUCCESS RATE OF TRANSPLANT IN LIVER CANCER CASES?

Researches reveal that there has been more than 60% of liver cancer patients who are living their life successfully after the liver transplant. However, in these patients also the success rate has been because liver cancer was diagnosed at a very early stage.

Across the years, doctors have been getting better at identifying which patients with liver cancer would likely do well after transplantation. So, by keeping patients with better odds, their overall success rates are climbing.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF LIVER TRANSPLANTATION?

Like any other organ transplantation surgery, liver transplantation also has many risks, which include:

·         Rejection of the liver by the host body’s immune system

·         Infection

·         Liver cancer returning

·         Reactions to the medications needed after the transplantation

·         Increased bleeding, difficulty clotting

·         Reaction to anesthesia during surgery

HOW TO SURVIVE WITH NEW LIVER?

Living with a donor's liver is not difficult. There are a few precautions you may need to:

·         Regularly take anti-rejection medications to keep your body from rejecting your liver

·         Monitor your health closely for any signs of rejection or return of liver cancer

·         Go for a regular check-up, as decreased immunity can make you susceptible to many severe life-threatening infections