Liver Transplantation – important re: biopsies and center referral

PERCUTANEOUS BIOPSIES AND/OR BIOPSIES PERFORMED AT THE TIME OF ENDOSCOPIC ULTRASOUND ARE DISCOURAGED.

The American Association for the Study of Liver disease Guidelines recommends that potential transplant candidates should be expeditiously referred to centers that have established protocols for oncologic assessment and treatment approved by UNOS.
AASLD Recommendations:
Patients diagnosed with early-stage cholangiocarcinoma and deemed unresectable due to parenchymal liver disease or anatomic location may be considered for LT in combination with neoadjuvant chemoradiation

AASLD Practice Guidelines:
http://www.aasld.org/practiceguidelines/Documents/Evaluation_for%20LT_in_Adults_hep26972.pdf