By DoM Communications | Date published: April 1, 2026
Navine Nasser-Ghodsi, Neil Marya, and Colleagues Contribute to First Liver Transplant Performed for Patient with Advanced Bile Duct Cancer in Central Massachusetts
Navine Nasser-Ghodsi, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, and Neil Marya, MD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, a director of the Program in Digital Medicine, and the Digital Medicine Fellowship, were among the team of providers who assisted in the first liver transplant for a patient with perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (Bismuth IV), in central Massachusetts.
In caring for this patient, Dr. Nasser-Ghodsi launched an effort to implement a previously established protocol for treating these patients at UMass Memorial Health. In collaboration with hepatology, transplant surgery, endoscopy, medical oncology, radiation oncology, and surgical oncology, Drs. Nasser-Ghodsi and Marya performed complex endoscopies, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy to eliminate the cancer.
After a lengthy surgery, including an additional Whipple procedure to remove the head of the pancreas, duodenum, and bile duct, the patient was able to recover, return to his life, and enjoy the hobbies he once loved.
“Seeing Paul return to an active life with his children and loved ones – this is why I became a transplant hepatologist,” said Dr. Nasser-Ghodsi.