Gertjan Rasschaert, Medical Doctor and Consultant specializing in Gastrointestinal Oncology and Gastroenterology at UZ Leuven, shared on LinkedIn:
“Very pleased to see the publication of this Belgian consensus protocol for liver transplantation in unresectable colorectal liver metastases.
Translating the landmark data from TRANSMET, SECA and others into real-world practice is not a black-and-white exercise.
We therefore developed a Belgian protocol tailored to our own healthcare context and clinical practice. In some respects, it may be perceived as more stringent than the trial protocols above; in others, less so.
Two cardinal rules:
- No current or previous extrahepatic disease
- Unresectable colorectal liver metastases, as determined by expert review
Other key elements include:
- PR/SD for at least 6 months on the same treatment line
- A mandatory 8-week treatment holiday
- Therefore (among other reasons) no exclusion based on one specific point mutation
… and several other important details discussed in the article.
I was genuinely surprised — and all the more proud — to learn that this is in fact the very first Belgian consensus protocol for a liver transplantation indication. L’Union fait la force.
I am also particularly pleased that all six Belgian liver transplant centres are now working together within a shared, transparent and openly discussed framework for this controversial and rare oncotransplant indication.
Many thanks to all co-authors and collaborators for this tour de force.”
Title: Belgian protocol for indication and selection of patients with unresectable colorectal cancer liver metastases eligible for liver transplantation
Authors: G. Rasschaert, M. Vandermeulen, M. Van den Eynde, H. Eker, T. Vandamme, B. Bracke, X. Verhelst, J. Verbeek, H. Van Vlierberghe, H. Topal, V. Labille, D. Monbaliu, B. Op de Beeck, T. Gustot, M. Sainz Barriga, F. Sclafani, V. Vandecaveye, T. Vanwolleghem, C. Amicone, V. Lucidi, C. Verslype, T. Chapelle, K. Geboes, G. Dahlqvist, J. Pirenne, O. Detry, L. Coubeau
Read the Full Article on AGEB Journal
You can also read: LAVA-CRLM: SBRT vs Microwave Ablation in Oligometastatic Colorectal Liver Metastases
