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Melinda Bachini: Advancing Patient-Centered Care in Transplant Oncology

Collage photo of Mark Ghobrial and Melinda Bachini

Jan 3, 2025, 16:51

Melinda Bachini: Advancing Patient-Centered Care in Transplant Oncology

Melinda Bachini, Director of Patient Services and Chief Patient Officer at Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation, shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by her and Mark Ghobrial published in Transplant Oncology:

“Advancing Patient-Centered Care in Transplant Oncology.

I’m honored to be a co-author of a recent editorial that challenges the boundaries of liver transplantation for patients with cholangiocarcinoma and other liver cancers.

The editorial highlights the critical need to expand access to this life-saving treatment while emphasizing the importance of understanding patients’ lived experiences.

For individuals diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, the path to liver transplantation can be fraught with barriers—strict selection criteria, financial hurdles, and limited access to transplant centers willing to accept complex cases.

Yet, liver transplantation often represents their best chance for long-term survival.

This article underscores the need to:

Expand oncologic indications for liver transplantation through multi-center studies.
Improve tumor assessment tools to better identify suitable candidates.
Recognize patients as more than statistics, understanding their hopes and struggles.

As someone who advocates for patients daily, I firmly believe in the ethical responsibility to provide equitable access to treatment.

By addressing these barriers, we can offer hope to more patients and their families, transforming lives in the process.

Let’s continue working towards a future where no patient is left behind.”

“Transplant oncology: keeping the patient’s perspective in mind”

Authors: Melinda Bachini and Mark Ghobrial

Melinda Bachini