New Liver Transplant Policy Helps Cancer Patients

[Guest guest]

New Liver Transplant Policy Helps Cancer Patients

Thu January 8, 2004 09:20 PM ET

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After the United Network of Organ Sharing

implemented a new allocation policy in 2002 increasing the priority of

patients with liver cancer, these patients have become more likely to

survive until liver transplantation and to be well enough to survive the

procedure, according to a new study published in the journal Liver

Transplantation.

In February 27, 2002, the Network implemented a new allocation policy giving

priority to patients with liver cancer. Up until this change, " when we

prioritized these patients, they may not have gotten the highest priority

score, " coauthor Dr. Vijayan Balan told Reuters Health.

" But by the time they get sick enough to generate a high priority score, the

cancer has advanced so much that they can't be transplanted, and that's the

reason why UNOS decided to give them a priority score, " he said.

Balan and his team evaluated the impact of the change on patients with liver

cancer. Included were 912 patients listed before the change, 805 who were

listed prior to the policy change but who survived beyond this date, and 357

listed after the policy change took effect.

The percentage of transplant candidates with liver cancer who dropped out of

waiting lists because of clinical deterioration or death declined from 25.9

percent before the change, to 8.0 percent for those in the overlap period,

and 6.7 percent in the post-change time period. The average time to

transplant dropped from 2.28 years prior to the change to 0.69 years

afterward.

According to Balan, the new policy " has made it more fair, in the sense that

the patients who are most in need of a liver transplant are getting a liver.

I do not think it has affected the survival of other (liver disease)

patients at all. "

Out of concern that candidates with liver cancer were being given excessive

priority, the Network decreased their priority score somewhat, effective

February, 2003. Although the effect of this change on patients' survival has

yet to be investigated, " my suspicion is that it will not adversely affect

the patients with liver cancer, " Balan added.

SOURCE: Liver Transplantation, January 2004.

© Reuters 2004. .

[Guest guest]

New Liver Transplant Policy Helps Cancer Patients

Thu January 8, 2004 09:20 PM ET

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After the United Network of Organ Sharing

implemented a new allocation policy in 2002 increasing the priority of

patients with liver cancer, these patients have become more likely to

survive until liver transplantation and to be well enough to survive the

procedure, according to a new study published in the journal Liver

Transplantation.

In February 27, 2002, the Network implemented a new allocation policy giving

priority to patients with liver cancer. Up until this change, " when we

prioritized these patients, they may not have gotten the highest priority

score, " coauthor Dr. Vijayan Balan told Reuters Health.

" But by the time they get sick enough to generate a high priority score, the

cancer has advanced so much that they can't be transplanted, and that's the

reason why UNOS decided to give them a priority score, " he said.

Balan and his team evaluated the impact of the change on patients with liver

cancer. Included were 912 patients listed before the change, 805 who were

listed prior to the policy change but who survived beyond this date, and 357

listed after the policy change took effect.

The percentage of transplant candidates with liver cancer who dropped out of

waiting lists because of clinical deterioration or death declined from 25.9

percent before the change, to 8.0 percent for those in the overlap period,

and 6.7 percent in the post-change time period. The average time to

transplant dropped from 2.28 years prior to the change to 0.69 years

afterward.

According to Balan, the new policy " has made it more fair, in the sense that

the patients who are most in need of a liver transplant are getting a liver.

I do not think it has affected the survival of other (liver disease)

patients at all. "

Out of concern that candidates with liver cancer were being given excessive

priority, the Network decreased their priority score somewhat, effective

February, 2003. Although the effect of this change on patients' survival has

yet to be investigated, " my suspicion is that it will not adversely affect

the patients with liver cancer, " Balan added.

SOURCE: Liver Transplantation, January 2004.

© Reuters 2004. .

[Guest guest]

New Liver Transplant Policy Helps Cancer Patients

Thu January 8, 2004 09:20 PM ET

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After the United Network of Organ Sharing

implemented a new allocation policy in 2002 increasing the priority of

patients with liver cancer, these patients have become more likely to

survive until liver transplantation and to be well enough to survive the

procedure, according to a new study published in the journal Liver

Transplantation.

In February 27, 2002, the Network implemented a new allocation policy giving

priority to patients with liver cancer. Up until this change, " when we

prioritized these patients, they may not have gotten the highest priority

score, " coauthor Dr. Vijayan Balan told Reuters Health.

" But by the time they get sick enough to generate a high priority score, the

cancer has advanced so much that they can't be transplanted, and that's the

reason why UNOS decided to give them a priority score, " he said.

Balan and his team evaluated the impact of the change on patients with liver

cancer. Included were 912 patients listed before the change, 805 who were

listed prior to the policy change but who survived beyond this date, and 357

listed after the policy change took effect.

The percentage of transplant candidates with liver cancer who dropped out of

waiting lists because of clinical deterioration or death declined from 25.9

percent before the change, to 8.0 percent for those in the overlap period,

and 6.7 percent in the post-change time period. The average time to

transplant dropped from 2.28 years prior to the change to 0.69 years

afterward.

According to Balan, the new policy " has made it more fair, in the sense that

the patients who are most in need of a liver transplant are getting a liver.

I do not think it has affected the survival of other (liver disease)

patients at all. "

Out of concern that candidates with liver cancer were being given excessive

priority, the Network decreased their priority score somewhat, effective

February, 2003. Although the effect of this change on patients' survival has

yet to be investigated, " my suspicion is that it will not adversely affect

the patients with liver cancer, " Balan added.

SOURCE: Liver Transplantation, January 2004.

© Reuters 2004. .

[Guest guest]

New Liver Transplant Policy Helps Cancer Patients

Thu January 8, 2004 09:20 PM ET

By Karla Gale

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - After the United Network of Organ Sharing

implemented a new allocation policy in 2002 increasing the priority of

patients with liver cancer, these patients have become more likely to

survive until liver transplantation and to be well enough to survive the

procedure, according to a new study published in the journal Liver

Transplantation.

In February 27, 2002, the Network implemented a new allocation policy giving

priority to patients with liver cancer. Up until this change, " when we

prioritized these patients, they may not have gotten the highest priority

score, " coauthor Dr. Vijayan Balan told Reuters Health.

" But by the time they get sick enough to generate a high priority score, the

cancer has advanced so much that they can't be transplanted, and that's the

reason why UNOS decided to give them a priority score, " he said.

Balan and his team evaluated the impact of the change on patients with liver

cancer. Included were 912 patients listed before the change, 805 who were

listed prior to the policy change but who survived beyond this date, and 357

listed after the policy change took effect.

The percentage of transplant candidates with liver cancer who dropped out of

waiting lists because of clinical deterioration or death declined from 25.9

percent before the change, to 8.0 percent for those in the overlap period,

and 6.7 percent in the post-change time period. The average time to

transplant dropped from 2.28 years prior to the change to 0.69 years

afterward.

According to Balan, the new policy " has made it more fair, in the sense that

the patients who are most in need of a liver transplant are getting a liver.

I do not think it has affected the survival of other (liver disease)

patients at all. "

Out of concern that candidates with liver cancer were being given excessive

priority, the Network decreased their priority score somewhat, effective

February, 2003. Although the effect of this change on patients' survival has

yet to be investigated, " my suspicion is that it will not adversely affect

the patients with liver cancer, " Balan added.

SOURCE: Liver Transplantation, January 2004.

© Reuters 2004. .