Ho Chi Minh City performs first pediatric liver transplant for cancer patient

Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City has achieved a medical milestone with the successful liver transplant of a 14-year-old boy battling hepatocellular carcinoma. This is the first such procedure for a pediatric liver cancer patient in southern Vietnam, marking a significant step forward for pediatric organ transplantation in the country.

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This is the first liver transplant to treat a child with hepatocellular carcinoma in the South, marking another important step forward for pediatric organ transplantation medicine in Vietnam.

The young patient was diagnosed with the rare cancer in late 2025 and underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy. Following a consultation with international liver transplant expert Prof. Raymond Reding, the medical team, led by Dr. Tran Thanh Tri, decided on an early transplant. An assessment confirmed the tumor had not spread, meeting the criteria for the procedure.

The surgery, performed on July 22, involved the patient's mother as the living donor. Both mother and son are now recovering positively. The patient is alert, eating well, and his transplanted liver is functioning stably with no signs of rejection. The mother has also recovered well and has been discharged.

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In cases where the portion of the liver containing the tumor cannot be removed, liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment method, helping to completely remove the tumor and the diseased liver, while also providing a long-term survival opportunity for the child.

Dr. Tran Thanh Tri highlighted that while liver transplantation is the only definitive treatment for this rare childhood cancer when tumors cannot be surgically removed, many children still face barriers to accessing this life-saving procedure. These include financial difficulties, a shortage of donors, and challenges in accessing specialized transplant centers. In this case, community support and donations played a crucial role in covering the significant costs of the transplant and treatment, offering the child a renewed chance at life.

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The success of this transplant continues to affirm the professional capabilities of the hospital as a leading pediatric liver transplant center in the southern region.