Transplant not an option?

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  • June 28, 2017 at 8:26 pm #95216
    marions
    Moderator

    Sorry, I forgot to add the link to the webinar provided on our website:
    http://cholangiocarcinoma.org/videos/

    Hugs
    Marion

    June 28, 2017 at 2:17 pm #95215
    kgroft
    Spectator

    Thank you both for the helpful information. This will help hubby and I both understand. I greatly appreciate it.

    June 28, 2017 at 3:22 am #95218
    bglass
    Moderator

    Hi Kathy,

    I am also an ICC patient and have wondered the same thing.

    The experience with liver transplant for intrahepatic CCA has not so far been positive. My understanding is that recurrence rates tend to be high, which is problematic given the scarcity of livers for transplant. I believe that doctors strive for resection rather than transplant for ICC as the survival prospects are somewhat better.

    There are a number of studies of transplant outcomes where patients who had been diagnosed with hepatocellular carcinoma were discovered after liver transplant to have actually had intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Sadly, a high proportion of these ICC transplant cases experienced recurrence.

    I think with time, doctors may get better at identifying subsets of ICC patients who may benefit from a liver transplant, but this is not the case today. This may involve certain patients at a very early stage who undergo a pre-transplant regime of chemo and/or radiation.

    Here is an article on the topic.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4598610/

    Best wishes as you pursue treatment options.

    Regards, Mary

    June 27, 2017 at 8:50 pm #95217
    marions
    Moderator

    Kgroft……I feel for you. it’s such a difficult answer to receive, but liver transplanations cannot be performed for patients with recurrent disease as it has become systemic. Transplantations happen rarely for our cancer, but those with Stage I, localized nodules no larger than 3 cm may be eligible. Take a look at this webinar: What Patients Need to Know About Hilar Cholangiocarcinoma and Liver Transplant.
    You would not want your husband to undergo the rigious regiment prior to a transplant only to find the cancer is invading the new liver as well.

    Hugs
    Marion

    June 27, 2017 at 3:19 pm #13488
    kgroft
    Spectator

    Can someone explain why transplant is not an option in ICC recurrence? Why can’t a live transplant be performed? Even if the chance of success is slim, it’s worth a try, isn’t it? Why have the doctors told my husband, “No” right off the bat?

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