Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer

The term of biliary tract cancer (BTC) refers to all tumors that arise from the biliary tract or the biliary drainage system, including the intra- and extra-hepatic bile ducts as well as the gallbladder. BTCs are aggressive tumors with limited treatment options and poor overall survival. Currently,...

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Main Author: Sang Myung Woo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Jin Publishing & Printing Co. 2017-03-01
Series:The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.kjg.or.kr/journal/view.html?doi=10.4166/kjg.2017.69.3.172
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author Sang Myung Woo
author_facet Sang Myung Woo
author_sort Sang Myung Woo
collection DOAJ
description The term of biliary tract cancer (BTC) refers to all tumors that arise from the biliary tract or the biliary drainage system, including the intra- and extra-hepatic bile ducts as well as the gallbladder. BTCs are aggressive tumors with limited treatment options and poor overall survival. Currently, surgery remains to be the only potentially curative treatment, and most patients develop recurrence. For advanced tumors, only limited effective treatment modalities exist today. Gemcitabine plus cisplatin is considered as a standard option for advanced biliary cancer. A randomized phase III trial (ABC-02 trial) showed superiority of gemcitabine plus cisplatin over gemcitabine alone. In that study, they showed that after a median follow-up of 8.2 months, the median overall survival was 8.1 months in the gemcitabine-only group and 11.7 months in the gemcitabine plus cisplatin group (p<0.001). However, while this is a definite advancement, a 3-month survival extension among patients with BTC is modest at best. Moreover, this regimen has not been compared head-to-head with other gemcitabine based combinations. Gemcitabine monotherapy, 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin, and single-agent capecitabine are all reasonable options for patients with a borderline performance status. Recent advancements have provided new insight into the genomic landscape of BTCs, and thus, it remains unclear whether combined treatment with molecular targeted agents or other cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents may also be effective against advanced BTC.
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spelling doaj.art-51cddf3bc6ab4f7d885b5b2339515cdd2022-12-21T18:37:33ZengJin Publishing & Printing Co.The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology1598-99922017-03-0169317217610.4166/kjg.2017.69.3.172kjg.2017.69.3.172Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract CancerSang Myung Woo0Liver and Pancreatobiliary Branch, Research Institute, Center for Liver Cancer, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy, National Cancer Center, Goyang, KoreaThe term of biliary tract cancer (BTC) refers to all tumors that arise from the biliary tract or the biliary drainage system, including the intra- and extra-hepatic bile ducts as well as the gallbladder. BTCs are aggressive tumors with limited treatment options and poor overall survival. Currently, surgery remains to be the only potentially curative treatment, and most patients develop recurrence. For advanced tumors, only limited effective treatment modalities exist today. Gemcitabine plus cisplatin is considered as a standard option for advanced biliary cancer. A randomized phase III trial (ABC-02 trial) showed superiority of gemcitabine plus cisplatin over gemcitabine alone. In that study, they showed that after a median follow-up of 8.2 months, the median overall survival was 8.1 months in the gemcitabine-only group and 11.7 months in the gemcitabine plus cisplatin group (p<0.001). However, while this is a definite advancement, a 3-month survival extension among patients with BTC is modest at best. Moreover, this regimen has not been compared head-to-head with other gemcitabine based combinations. Gemcitabine monotherapy, 5-fluorouracil plus leucovorin, and single-agent capecitabine are all reasonable options for patients with a borderline performance status. Recent advancements have provided new insight into the genomic landscape of BTCs, and thus, it remains unclear whether combined treatment with molecular targeted agents or other cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents may also be effective against advanced BTC.http://www.kjg.or.kr/journal/view.html?doi=10.4166/kjg.2017.69.3.172CholangiocarcinomaChemotherapy
spellingShingle Sang Myung Woo
Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
The Korean Journal of Gastroenterology
Cholangiocarcinoma
Chemotherapy
title Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
title_full Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
title_fullStr Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
title_full_unstemmed Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
title_short Chemotherapy for Biliary Tract Cancer
title_sort chemotherapy for biliary tract cancer
topic Cholangiocarcinoma
Chemotherapy
url http://www.kjg.or.kr/journal/view.html?doi=10.4166/kjg.2017.69.3.172
work_keys_str_mv AT sangmyungwoo chemotherapyforbiliarytractcancer