Robert Cannon, M.D., surgical director of the UAB Liver Transplant Program, recently joined UAB MedCast to discuss liver transplantation for colorectal metastases and the evolving role of transplantation in oncologic care.

In the episode, Cannon highlights how advances in patient selection and multidisciplinary collaboration have transformed what was once considered an inoperable condition. Through careful evaluation and collaboration between transplant surgeons, oncologists, and colorectal specialists, UAB is now offering liver transplantation as a life-extending option for patients whose metastases are confined to the liver.

“Just a few years ago, transplantation wasn’t an option for these patients,” Cannon said. “Now, with refined criteria and international data supporting long-term survival, we’re seeing remarkable outcomes.”

He explains that appropriate candidates typically have liver-only disease, stable or responsive tumors after at least a year of chemotherapy, and favorable molecular profiles. Patients meeting these criteria have demonstrated five-year survival rates of sixty to seventy percent, a dramatic improvement compared to standard chemotherapy alone.

The discussion also explores the Resection and Partial Liver Transplantation with Delayed Total Hepatectomy (RAPID) technique, an emerging approach that enables transplantation using partial grafts, a key step toward expanding access to transplantation. Cannon underscores the importance of close surveillance, ongoing communication with oncology teams, and UAB’s strong multidisciplinary infrastructure within the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“This is a paradigm shift,” he noted. “Metastatic colorectal disease limited to the liver is no longer an automatic contraindication for transplant.”

Listen to the full episode here.