EUROPEAN RESEARCH. PERSONALISED CARE.

Liver Transplantation for Colorectal Liver Metastases

A groundbreaking European research initiative seeking to redefine treatment for people with colorectal cancer and liver metastases.

Horizon Europe · Mission Cancer · 2026–2031

Surgical team working in an operating theatre.

21

partner organisations

13

clinical sites

5 years

July 2026 – June 2031

€10M

EU funding

Key facts

According to WHO, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide, accounting for approximately 10% of all cancer cases, and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths.
The liver is the most common site of CRC metastasis, a major cause of CRC-related mortality.

Approximately 40–50% of patients with colorectal cancer develop liver metastases during the course of their disease.

The liver may be the only site of metastatic disease or one of several metastatic sites.

Surgical resection remains the standard potentially curative treatment when feasible.

For selected patients with unresectable liver-only disease, liver transplantation is emerging as a potential treatment option.

A COMPLEX QUESTION. A SHARED AMBITION.

Which treatment,
for which person?

When colorectal cancer spreads to the liver, treatment decisions can be complex. LiT-Met is investigating where liver transplantation may offer a benefit compared with complex liver resection for carefully selected patients.

LiT-Met brings clinical evidence, artificial intelligence and patient perspectives together to support more personalised decisions — and a better understanding of their long-term impact.

Understand the project →

What LiT-Met is building

Europe’s largest evidence base

on liver transplantation for colorectal liver metastases

First European multicentre prospective study

comparing liver transplantation and liver resection

A multimodal platform

integrating clinical, imaging, pathological, molecular, circulating biomarker and patient-reported data

An AI-powered Clinical Decision Support System

for personalised treatment decisions

European evidence-based clinical guidelines

contributing to advanced care standards

A healthcare professional speaking with a patient during a consultation.

HOW THE RESEARCH CONNECTS

From clinical evidence to everyday life.

We study not just how treatments perform, but what they mean for people and for the systems that care for them.

Learn from clinical evidence

Connect European clinical data with prospective studies to better understand treatment outcomes.

Explore more personalised decisions

Bring imaging, biological insights and AI together to investigate who may benefit from each approach.

Measure what matters

Consider survival alongside quality of life, patient priorities, equitable access and value for health systems.

STRONGER TOGETHER

A European network.
A shared purpose.

21 organisations connect the expertise needed to investigate a complex clinical question.

Led by the University of Bologna, LiT-Met brings together hospitals, universities, technology specialists and organisations representing patients and healthcare professionals.

Meet the organisations behind LiT-Met →

LATEST FROM LiT-Met

The collaboration begins.

All news & resources →

6–7 JULY 2026 · BOLOGNA

LiT-Met launches its European research programme

The consortium came together in Bologna to begin a five-year programme investigating more personalised care for colorectal liver metastases.

Read the press release ↗

Let’s move the conversation forward.

Connect with LiT-Met for research collaboration, communication and project enquiries.