PROTOCOL FOR LIVER TRANSPLANTATION IN UNRESECTABLE COLORECTAL METASTASIS

ABSTRACT - BACKGROUND:

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common neoplasm, and half of the patients with CRC develop liver metastasis. The best prognostic factor for colorectal liver metastasis (CRLM) is the possibility of performing a resection with free margins; however, most of them remain unresectable. The justification for performing liver transplantation (LT) in patients with CRLM regards an increase in the number of resectable patients by performing total hepatectomy.

AIM:  The aim of this study was to provide a Brazilian protocol for LT in patients with unresectable CRLM.

METHOD:  The protocol was carried out by two Brazilian institutions, which perform a large volume of resections and LTs, based on the study carried out at the University of Oslo. The elaboration of the protocol was conducted in four stages.

RESULT:  A protocol proposal for this disease is presented, which needs to be validated for clinical use.

CONCLUSION:  The development of an LT protocol for unresectable CRLM aims to standardize the treatment and to enable a better evaluation of surgical results.

HEADINGS:
Transplantation; Liver Transplantation; Colorectal Neoplasms; Neoplasm Metastasis