Bianca Perea, a 32-year-old trainee lawyer from Manchester, has been declared cancer-free after becoming the first person in the UK to undergo a liver transplant for advanced bowel cancer. In November 2021, the woman was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer that had spread to her liver. The doctors initially told her the focus would be on prolonging her life rather than finding a cure.
Despite the grim prediction, a combined range of treatments including chemotherapy, targeted drug therapy, and surgery helped her defy the odds leaving no signs of cancer anywhere in her body.
“Within four weeks of going under the knife, I was able to drive and walk the family dogs, it was really quite incredible.” Perea shared, adding, “To go from being told I’d only have a short time to live to now being cancer-free is the greatest gift.
According to Sky News, Pera’s cancer was diagnosed after she first visited a GP in Wingan, reporting symptoms of constipation and bloating. Following a series of tests, including a colonoscopy and biopsy, the diagnosis was confirmed, revealing that the cancer had spread to all eight segments of her liver.
Perea underwent 37 rounds of chemotherapy with the targeted drug panitumumab, showing an excellent response that allowed surgeons to remove her bowel tumour in May 2023. However, tumours remained in her liver, which were initially inoperable. However, after the positive reaction to treatment, doctors began exploring liver transplantation as an option.
In February 2024, she was added to the transplant list and fortunately found a donor last summer.
Her oncologist, Dr Kalena Marti, praised the outcome, “When we looked at the tumour cells in her liver after it had been removed, they weren’t active.”
“This is excellent news, and we hope that this means that the cancer won’t come back.”
Dr Marti also highlighted the importance of ongoing research and the generosity of organ donors. “Advanced bowel cancer is complex and there are lots of different types of the disease, so what works for one person might not work for another. As a result, it’s important that we continue to develop new treatments.