In February, this year, our News page included a feature on Liver Transplantation for selected patients diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer and other malignancies (news item here).
A topic discussed in one of our podcasts: Episode 19, where NCUK CEO Cathy travelled to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham to speak to Dr. Tahir Shah about his work in developing this new service to improve outcomes, and quality of life, through surgery and/or liver transplantation.
Dr Shah is a Consultant Liver Transplant Physician at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, and Lead Clinician for both the Neuroendocrine and Hepatocellular Cancer [HCC] Services at Birmingham. He is leading a number of service improvement initiatives including the delivery of a national programme of Liver Transplantation for unresectable NET liver metastases.
On Thursday – July 27th – Channel 5 TV broadcast the 2nd episode of Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death. The episode featured a gentleman undergoing a liver transplant procedure* at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as well as an operation to remove a rare cancer of the soft palette, and a particularly nasty open fracture of a woman’s lower leg.
The language of the programme can be quite dramatic and content may be upsetting for some viewers. It focuses on the surgery itself rather than the work-up or follow on care.
*Please note that liver transplantation may be undertaken for a number of reasons – criteria is strict and regulated to best serve the health and well-being of the potential recipient.
It is also important to respect the life and generosity of the donor and their family / loved ones.
For a personal account of the journey from Neuroendocrine Cancer diagnosis to Liver Transplantation and beyond – you can read Chrissie’s story here.
For further information about organ donation and transplantation you can visit The British Transplant Society and the Organ Donation & Transplantation website.