UNOS Adjusts Allocation Policy for Patients With Form of Liver Cancer

The United Network for Organ Sharing said a new liver allocation policy implemented in February to better prioritize transplant candidates is performing well, but the UNOS Board has approved an adjustment to the formula for patients with a particular form of liver cancer.

The adjustment is intended to keep the priority for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) equivalent to that of those classified under the standard system. During the first six months under the new policy, about one-fifth of liver recipients transplanted had HCC.

"We have found upon early review that the priority for HCC liver candidates was not in proportion to that of candidates with other diagnoses," said Dr. Richard Freeman, chairman of the Liver and Intestinal Organ Transplantation Committee.

Freeman said that data for the six months from February 27 through August 27 showed that under the new policy, total liver transplants made possible by organs from deceased donors increased from 2,357 in 2001 to 2,481. The number of patients who either died on the waiting list or were removed as too sick to transplant decreased, from 1,220 in 2001 to 1,113.

"While these results are preliminary, they are encouraging," said Freeman. "These early results suggest that the policy is meeting the key goal of reducing wait list deaths.

"But we had said from the outset that this policy would need modifications to continue to improve the fairness of the system for all patients," added Freeman. "The adjustments we are proposing are designed to do that, while maintaining the appropriate level of priority for HCC patients."

Other sources: UNOS