![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5009b640a5877da3e8d311486d13ac10.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Amy Piccioli
Credit: Northwestern Medicine<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Amy Piccioli was diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer after an ER visit for dehydration in 2024<\/p>\n
A liver transplant from a close family friend helped her achieve \u201cno evidence of disease\u201d after extensive treatment<\/p>\n
Piccioli is now raising awareness about colorectal cancer and urging patients to explore transplant options if the disease spreads to the liver<\/p>\n
A woman with stage 4 cancer received a liver from her friend \u2014 and the transplant saved her life.<\/p>\n
In May 2024, Amy Piccioli, a 41-year-old accountant from Los Angeles, visited the emergency room after dealing with dehydration from a stomach bug. She was 39 at the time and a seemingly healthy mom of three. So she was stunned after scans revealed a mass in her colon and multiple lesions on her liver. After a biopsy, she was ultimately diagnosed with stage 4 colorectal cancer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had zero signs of colorectal cancer. No pain, no changes in bowel habits and no family history,\u201d she told Northwestern Medicine<\/a>. \u201cWhen a doctor tells you it\u2019s stage 4, you think, \u2018My life is over.\u2019 Learning that a transplant could be an option for me changed everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Piccioli immediately underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy and started immunotherapy medication. She then consulted with her doctors about the possibility of getting a liver transplant.<\/p>\n Piccioli was later referred to Northwestern Medicine, which has one of the only programs in the United States with a liver transplant program specifically for patients with colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver.<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now<\/a>!<\/p>\n Amy Piccioli’s family on the beach In September 2025, she traveled to Chicago to connect with Dr. Zachary Dietch, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine.<\/p>\n \u201cAmy had disease confined to the liver and had responded very well to treatment,\u201d he said. \u201cFor patients with unresectable colorectal liver metastases, chemotherapy alone historically results in a 10% five\u2011year survival. But in carefully selected patients who undergo liver transplantation, five\u2011year survival can reach 60% to 80%, and some patients achieve long\u2011term cure.\u201d<\/p>\n After sharing the link for living-donor screenings with friends and family, Piccioli was thrilled to learn that a close family friend, Lauren Prior, 37, was a match.<\/p>\n \u201cIt felt like fate,\u201d she said. \u201cLauren and her family had already told us we could stay with them in Chicago while I recover from the surgery. And then she turned out to be my perfect match. At that point, I had so much faith in my surgical team that I was more scared of a Chicago winter than a liver transplant.\u201d<\/p>\n “It’s such a small sacrifice to make that could potentially save someone’s life, or at least improve their quality of life,” Prior told ABC News<\/a> of being a donor. “The impact you can have on someone else is incredible, and it’s worth it.”<\/p>\n Amy Piccioli and Dr. Zachary Dietch In December 2025, the longtime friends underwent their respective surgeries. Doctors removed a portion of Prior’s liver and transferred it to Piccioli, whose previous liver was removed.<\/p>\n Three months later, doctors said that both Piccioli and Prior are recovering well. Additionally, a blood test that detects residual cancer cells came back negative, confirming Piccioli has “no evidence of disease.”<\/p>\n Piccioli will stay in Chicago until the end of the month as she continues her recovery. She told the hospital that she wanted to share her health journey in honor of March\u2019s Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, noting that more younger people are being diagnosed with the disease.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m more committed to the cause than anything,\u201d she said. \u201cIf your cancer has spread to your liver, ask your doctor about a transplant. It might be an option you didn\u2019t know existed. That information could save someone\u2019s life. I can\u2019t express how grateful I am for my donor and the Northwestern Medicine transplant team for saving mine.\u201d<\/p>\n Amy Piccioli with longtime friend Lauren Prior Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\u00a0<\/p>\n Colon, or colorectal, cancer is the third most common cancer in the world, after lung and breast cancers.<\/p>\n While overall rates of colon cancer have gone down over the past 10 years, rates in people younger than age 50 have increased by about 2% each year. According to the American Cancer Society<\/a>, recent reports revealed that one in five people diagnosed with colon cancer is now under 55.<\/p>\n The American Cancer Society recommends that adults 45 and up get regular colon cancer screenings, either stool analyses or colonoscopies. And they urge people with symptoms of colon cancer<\/a> \u2014 such as a change in bowel movements, like increased diarrhea, rectal bleeding, dark stools, unexpected weight loss, cramping and excess fatigue \u2014 to get checked out by a doctor.<\/p>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/695b2233dd0c89210b4cca89ede03951.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Northwestern Medicine<\/p>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/5a4584bea4059e1566c343a88f3765c9.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Northwestern Medicine<\/p>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/c9d1432b039ad88727be3406dae7c53d.jpeg\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Credit: Northwestern Medicine<\/p>\n