LA Mom Cancer-Free After Rare Liver Transplant at 39

Amy Piccioli thought she had a stomach bug when she walked into a Los Angeles emergency room last year. Instead, a CT scan revealed stage 4 colorectal cancer spread throughout her liver.

"I had no symptoms," the 39-year-old mother of three told reporters. "I'm very diligent about my health, so for this to have happened without any signs was just shocking."

The diagnosis hit hard. Because the cancer had already spread to her liver, doctors classified it as stage 4 immediately.

Piccioli started chemotherapy and immunotherapy in June 2024. Within three months, scans showed the tumors shrinking. Doctors removed a tumor from her colon, but the real challenge remained in her liver.

"The cancer was all over my liver," she said. Traditional surgery wasn't an option because the cancer had spread too widely for doctors to remove just one section.

Her care team discovered that Northwestern Medicine in Chicago offers a liver transplant program specifically for colorectal cancer patients. The treatment is common in Europe but rare in the United States.

For carefully selected patients who respond well to chemotherapy, the five-year survival rate reaches 60% to 80%. Piccioli's positive response to treatment made her an ideal candidate.

She shared her need for a living donor with family and friends. Lauren Prior, her childhood friend, got screened and matched perfectly.

In December 2024, Piccioli became the first person at Northwestern to receive a living donor liver transplant for metastatic colon cancer. Both she and Prior are recovering well.

"The first week or two were difficult, but by week four, I was up and around," Piccioli said. "About two months out, I started working out again. I'm now three months out and feel completely normal."

The Bright Side

Her most recent blood screening showed zero tumor molecules in her body. She has no evidence of disease and will continue monitoring in Chicago until late March before returning home to Los Angeles.

Doctors say early-onset colorectal cancer often presents no symptoms because tumors can grow in hard-to-detect locations. That's why screening matters so much, even for people who feel perfectly healthy.

Piccioli now encourages everyone to stay vigilant about their health. "Do the screenings at the recommended ages and follow up," she advised.

Her story shows how medical innovation and friendship can create unexpected pathways to healing.