Liver Transplantation for perihilar cholangiocarcinoma. Do we need to move forward?

Abstract

Perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (pCCA) is a challenging disease with limited options. Surgical resection and adjuvant therapy remain the only established treatment for those with resectable disease. Since the publication of the Mayo protocol in 2000, neoadjuvant chemoradiation and liver transplantation have become the standard of care in selected patients with unresectable de novo pCCA or resectable pCCA arising under primary sclerosing cholangitis. However, its application is diverse worldwide, and the need for donor organs is one of the main limitations. Also, differences in the neoadjuvant regimen used were observed. In this review, we discuss the latest results of this approach, the recommended tools for diagnostic work-up, and advances in systemic therapy to improve patient selection and long-term survival.