At just 39, Amy was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer — despite having no symptoms at all.

“I had zero signs of colorectal cancer. No pain, no changes in bowel habits and no family history,” says Amy. “When a doctor tells you it’s stage 4, you think, ‘My life is over.’ Learning that a transplant could be an option for me changed everything.”

A Troubling Trend

In the United States, colorectal cancer is rising rapidly among adults under age 50 and is often found late, with little warning. It is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in this age group.

For patients like Amy, with cancer that has spread only to the liver, advances in transplant oncology are creating more possibilities for treatment.

“Because transplant for colorectal liver metastases is still so new and offered at only a handful of centers, it’s not yet on the radar for every clinician and patient,” says Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, a transplant surgeon and director of the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center. “Amy was fortunate because her team in California recognized that possibility and sent her our way. Patients who meet the criteria should hear about transplant early enough in their journey to benefit from it.”

Exploring Options for Metastatic Disease

At the time of her diagnosis, Amy was a busy mom raising three young children in the South Bay region of Los Angeles. She worked as a certified public accountant and spent weekends biking to the beach and attending Dodgers games with her family.

Her medical team in California started chemotherapy to target rapidly dividing cancer cells, shrinking her mass to the point where liver transplantation could be considered. They encouraged Amy to explore programs in the United States that were offering transplant surgery for colorectal liver metastases.

After learning about the innovative oncologic approach to liver and lung transplantation at Northwestern Medicine, Amy traveled to Chicago in September 2025. There, Amy’s multidisciplinary team evaluated her and determined she was a strong candidate for a living‑donor liver transplant.

“Amy had disease confined to the liver and had responded very well to treatment,” says Zachary C. Dietch, MD, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. “For patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases, chemotherapy alone historically results in a 10% five‑year survival. But in carefully selected patients who undergo liver transplantation, five‑year survival can reach 60% to 80%, and some patients achieve long‑term cure.”

An Unexpected Donor Match

“It felt like fate,” says Amy. “Lauren and her family had already told us we could stay with them in Chicago while I recovered from the surgery. And then she turned out to be my perfect match. At that point, I had so much faith in my surgical team that I was more scared of a Chicago winter than a liver transplant.”

In December 2025, surgeons at Northwestern Medicine performed the liver transplant surgery using a portion of Lauren’s liver. Both Amy and Lauren recovered well. A blood test that detects residual cancer cells came back negative, confirming Amy has no evidence of disease.

Precise Treatment Planning

Successful liver transplantation for metastatic colorectal cancer requires close coordination across specialties.

“We only enroll patients in whom we believe we can completely eradicate the cancer,” says Andres Duarte, MD, section chief of hepatology and director of liver transplant at the Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center. “That means patients with disease confined to the liver, and no invasion of nearby structures. The timing of chemotherapy, imaging, liver‑directed therapy and transplant must be planned precisely. That orchestration is the strength of our program.”

Unlike standard liver transplants, patients who undergo transplant surgery for colorectal cancer receive more frequent imaging, including CT scans or MRI scans of the chest, abdomen and pelvis every three months. This close follow-up helps detect recurrence early in patients whose cancer has spread in the past.

Healing Far From Home

Amy remained in Chicago through the end of March 2026 for close monitoring as she recovered from her transplant. She shared her story nationally during March Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

“I’m more committed to the cause than anything,” says Amy. “If your cancer has spread to your liver, ask your doctor about a transplant. It might be an option you didn’t know existed. That information could save someone’s life. I can’t express how grateful I am for my donor and the Northwestern Medicine transplant team for saving mine.”

Saving Lives With Liver Transplant Surgery

Northwestern Medicine is among a small number of health systems in the United States advancing transplantation for select patients with metastatic cancers of the colon or lung.

In 2025, Northwestern Medicine Organ Transplant Center launched CLEAR (Colorectal Metastasis to Liver Extraction with Auxiliary Transplant and Delayed Resection), a clinical program designed to expand liver transplantation options for people with colorectal cancer. The center now evaluates patients from across the country and receives international inquiries.

“Liver transplantation for colorectal cancer is still in its infancy, but the impact is undeniable,” says Dr. Nadig. “Our goal is to expand awareness so patients and physicians know this option exists, and to continue advancing transplant innovation so we can offer hope in situations where historically only hospice was offered.”

Not sure about your risk for colorectal cancer? Use this simple screening tool to find helpful tips and next steps.