The Role of Bridge Therapy Prior to Orthotopic Liver Transplantation

Orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) offers the best chance for cure in the setting of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A consensus statement recommends locoregional therapy (LRT) be considered in patients with HCC who are expected to wait more than 6 months for OLT to diminish dropout from the waiting list because of tumor progression. This article reviews LRT as a bridge to OLT in patients with HCC.

Target Audience

This activity has been designated to meet the educational needs of physicians and nurses involved in the management of patients with cancer.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the types of LRT that can be utilized as bridge therapy until liver transplant
  • Discuss the existing study data on the impact of LRT-mediated downstaging on patient outcomes
Additional information
Supporters: 

No commercial support was received for this article.

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 1.00 Participation
  • 1.00 Nurse
  • 1.00 Physician
Course opens: 
08/08/2014
Course expires: 
08/08/2015
Cost:
$0.00

Meena A. Prasad, MD
Department of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois

Laura M. Kulik, MD
Department of Medicine
Division of Gastroenterology/Hepatology
Northwestern University
Chicago, Illinois

Available Credit

  • 1.00 Participation
  • 1.00 Nurse
  • 1.00 Physician

Price

Cost:
$0.00
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Required Hardware/software

To access this activity, users will need:

  • A device with an Internet connection
  • Adobe Reader or other PDF reader software for article and certificate viewing/printing