Machine oxygen flushing of donor livers before transplant in liver cancer patients
Compares a liver perfusion method with standard cold storage in adults awaiting liver cancer transplant.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: HOPE Against Cancer Recurrence in HCC
Key facts
- Where
- Prague, CzechiaSee the site
- Phase
- Phase 4
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you 18 years old or older?
- Are you on the waiting list for a liver transplant, or have you ever had an organ, bone marrow or stem cell transplant?
Source: NCT06717919, who can take part
Where in Czechia
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (IKEM) (Prague)Prague, CzechiaTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Philipp Dutkowski
- Trial code
- NCT06717919
- Record updated
- 16 December 2025
- Original description
Liver transplantation is often performed to treat liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in patients with impaired liver function due to cirrhosis. A shortcoming, however, is tumor recurrence after transplantation. Approximately 15 % of patients receiving livers develop recurrence and this depends on the quality of the liver received.Read full original descriptionShow less
Hypothermic Oxygenated Perfusion (HOPE) Against Cancer Recurrence in HCC Liver Transplantation - International Multicentre Parallel Group Interventional RCT
Liver transplantation is often performed to treat liver cancer, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), in patients with impaired liver function due to cirrhosis. A shortcoming, however, is tumor recurrence after transplantation. Approximately 15 % of patients receiving livers develop recurrence and this depends on the quality of the liver received.
Machine liver perfusion, for example, hypothermic oxygenated liver perfusion (HOPE), which means that the organ is perfused with an oxygen-rich fluid in a cold environment before transplantation, is a novel method to improve the quality of livers before implantation. The standard of care is cold storage without perfusion.
The objective of this study is to compare the survival after tumor recurrence of patients after liver transplantation for HCC between perfused and not perfused livers. This study's hypothesis is that survival without tumor recurrence is improved when the liver is perfused before implantation.
The study involves transplant centers worldwide, and adults with HCC waiting for liver transplantation are included. 220 Patients will be recruited within 12 months and then observed for at least 2 years after transplantation. To provide the most valid results, the patients will be randomly allocated to either the organ perfusion group or a control group with standard-of-care cold storage of the organ.
Inclusion: Adult recipients (>18y), listed for liver transplantation with documented HCC (Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LIRADS) 5 lesion in magnetic resonance imaging or computer tomography of the liver or biopsy proven),; within up to seven criteria, i.e. HCC with seven as the sum of the diameter of the largest tumour (in cm) and the number of tumours at the time point of liver transplantation,; written informed consent for the trial. This also includes patients beyond the up to seven criteria after successful downsizing of the HCC.
Exclusion: Systemic antitumoural medical treatment with checkpoint inhibitors or multikinase inhibitors; Post-transplant treatment with mTOR inhibitors; Combined or mixed hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (cHCC-CCC) or pure cholangiocarcinoma or other malignancies in histopathology of the liver explant; Donation after circulatory death (DCD) liver grafts; Combined liver transplants; Partial liver transplants; Acute and unexpected medical contraindications; Pregnancy; Cold storage time of > 10 hours (both study arms).