A Los Angeles mother of three, Amy Piccioli, received a lifesaving liver transplant at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago after being diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer that had spread to her liver, according to a March 12 announcement. Piccioli, who was 39 when she first sought medical care for dehydration in May 2024, learned through a CT scan that she had a mass in her colon and lesions in her liver. She said she experienced no symptoms prior to the diagnosis.
Piccioli’s case highlights an increasing trend of colorectal cancer affecting adults under 50, often without warning signs and at advanced stages. For patients whose cancer is limited to the liver, new advances in transplant oncology are providing options that were not available ten years ago. "I had zero signs of colorectal cancer. No pain, no changes in bowel habits and no family history," Piccioli said. "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."
Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, said: "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." He added that early awareness can benefit eligible patients. After chemotherapy shrank her disease enough to consider transplantation, Piccioli traveled to Chicago where she was evaluated by a multidisciplinary team and found to be a strong candidate for living-donor liver transplant.
Zachary Dietch, MD, transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine said: "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." The donor was Lauren Prior—a longtime family friend—who turned out to be an unexpected match.
Andres Duarte-Rojo, MD, section chief of hepatology and director of liver transplant at Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center said: "We only enroll patients in whom we believe we can completely eradicate the cancer." He explained that precise coordination between oncology and surgery is required for successful outcomes.
Piccioli remains under close monitoring as she recovers from her December surgery. She shared her story during Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness about transplantation as an option for certain metastatic cancers. "If your cancer has spread to your liver, ask your doctor about a transplant," she said.
Northwestern Medicine is among few health systems pioneering transplants for select metastatic colon or lung cancers. In 2025 it launched CLEAR—a clinical program expanding access to transplants for colorectal cancer patients nationwide—and now receives international inquiries about its approach.
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Dr. Nadig concluded: "Liver transplantation for colorectal cancer is still in its infancy, but the impact is undeniable... Our goal is to expand awareness so patients and physicians know this option exists."
